But several incidents have touched a nerve in a nation where individual liberty is taken seriously.

In the past, attempts by governments to introduce national identity cards have failed largely because the idea of the police demanding to see such documents is regarded as alien to the country’s storied historical traditions.

Five years ago, Britons celebrated with much fanfare the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, a document that began the long process of proscribing the powers of the monarch.

Britons may be hazy about its contents — hence the joke once made by Tony Hancock: “Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?” — but they know it became a symbol of the preservation of fundamental freedoms.

And to some, those are being trampled even if the rules in Britain are much less exacting than those imposed in several countries in continental Europe.

Those who can work from home are encouraged — but not forced — to do so, and everyone is allowed to leave the house to shop for necessities or for exercise. Unlike in France, for example, Britons do not have to fill out paperwork to go outside.

Stephen Kinnock, an opposition lawmaker, thought he was observing the rules when he posted a picture on Twitter of restrained celebrations on the 78th birthday of his father, Neil Kinnock, a former leader of the Labour Party. The meeting was outside, the men separated by a good distance.