"In a confrontation with the politics of power, the soft center has always melted away"

This quote by Lord Hailsham talks to the concept that when confronted with a powerful political force, those who are not as powerful will typically be required to give up. This is often referred to as the "soft center" dissolving. This can be seen in various contexts, such as when a small nation is confronted with a bigger, more effective one, or when a minority group is confronted with a majority. In these cases, the weaker party is frequently forced to succumb to the needs of the more powerful one. This quote is a pointer that when confronted with a powerful political force, those who are not as powerful will often be required to give in.