Tag Archives: class

Warwick Danks

We need to shift from a class identity debate to a consensus around our core values

By Warwick Danks | Fri 17th January 2020 - 5:06 pm


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With the dust still settling from the December 2019 General Election, it is necessarily a time for the Liberal Democrats to regroup, refocus and plan for the coming years.

One question which I hear being asked is how the Party can appeal to working-class voters, as part of a strategy to make it more inclusive, representative and, of course, electable. However I believe we need to first take a step back and ask whether the underlying assumption here is valid in 21st Century Britain and, moreover, is it liberal?

With our political rivals in opposition currently locked in heated internal argument as to which of their potential leaders is authentically working-class, it is worth exploring just what that means. Is one born working-class, or indeed middle-class, or does one somehow acquire the designation and accompanying self-identity during one’s lifetime?

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 16 Comments
Joe Otten

John Major: Class warrior

By Joe Otten | Mon 11th November 2013 - 2:55 pm

Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major is back in the news today condemning the stranglehold on power and influence enjoyed by the elite:

In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. To me from my background, I find that truly shocking.

This follows his unexpected intervention in the energy debate calling for a windfall tax on energy companies. In both cases Major seems to be taking on the role of Cameron’s One Nation conscience, speaking up for people in modest …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 50 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Roland
    @Peter Martin - " but it does raise the question of why there is so little UK involvement in the sector." ...
  • David Warren
    I have been a trade union member since 1980 and for 20 years was a full time representative of the postal workers union CWU. Yes Liberals do need to relate m...
  • Peter Chambers
    Paul, thanks for this incisive piece on the relationship between the Labour Party and the privation of state provision in the UK. I agree with much of what you ...
  • Carl Pierce
    Sam - Your not alone. Ill be ashamed if my party treats you unfairly....
  • Martin Eggleston
    @Tom Bailey we have our very own example in the UK; Wally Stott composed the Hancocks Half Hour theme tune and was the arranger for many Goon Shows, and albums ...