Who Are 'the Working Class'?

[naomi24]

On another thread, Mikey said “If Mrs May has persuaded the British people that she is the saviour of the working class, than the lunatics really have taken over the asylum”, which begs the question “Who are the working class?”

[cassa333]

Me.

I work.

But for Mikey and the Labour Party at the moment working class seems to be mainly aimed at people on low income. Or anyone on less than, what was it £80,000 a year!

[Baldric]

I think it's the little guy on the right.

http://i4.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2267834.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/main.jpg

[cassa333]

Lol Baldric

If enough of the little guys on the right aspire to be the bloke in the middle you loose the little guy.

It will forever shift the little guy but there will always be one.

[Togo]

“He referred to Aneurin Bevan as 'Urinal' Bevan. As for the working classes, they couldn't write their own names in *** on a lavatory wall. I said I thought they could.”
― Tony Benn, The Benn Diaries, 1940-1990

Or.

"The worst fault of the working classes is telling their children they're not going to succeed, saying: ''There is life, but it's not for you.''" — John Mortimer

Or Even

"A working class hero is something to be".
John Lennon

[Togo]

There is a working class - strong and happy - among both rich and poor: There is an idle class - weak, wicked, and miserable - among both rich and poor.
John Ruskin

But that nails it.

[zebo]

I did the 2013 BBC 'test' in the related questions, I got an interesting result! The words 'working class' are meaningless as it's about more than income, it's attitudes as well. My parents would have described themselves as 'working class' but their attitudes as parents and to life would definitely have placed them as middle class.

[douglas9401]

I think the working class as an entity disappeared with the arrival of easy credit and when eyes were opened to the worst excesses of unions and their leaders.
No more need for t'tin bath at t'fire mother.

[naomi24]

It seems to me that today’s Labour party is the party of the non-working man rather than the working man. They don’t encourage enterprise, they don’t encourage self-dependency, and they don’t encourage self-respect. Their mantra seems to be all about everything for free.

[modeller]

" Who are the working class ? " Was a good question but the term ' Working Class ' has not been applicable for many years ! I worked at times on council estates for 40 years and I saw a huge deterioration in the willingness to work. I was told on many occasions " Why work ? We are far better off on the Dole. "
I could name whole estates that were black listed by local businesses , where 60% of the tenants were months behind in their rent . One thing they did have in abundance " hard luck stories " . One thing I should add many of that 60% had their rent paid for them by the tax payers. Before you ask I have experienced life living on a Council Estate and no I have never lived on any form of benefits.

[Old_Geezer]

It is a difficult question to answer because I suspect there are many aspects that either include or exclude someone from it. A bit like asking what is art, but knowing it when you see it, or knowing what you like, but finding a full definition is nigh impossible.

But if you are one of those who finds they have to look for an employer in order to get an income to pay the bills, yet have to compete against many others doing the same thing so get rejected time and again before finding a niche, one that probably wasn't the one who really wanted anyway. Or if you didn't have the confidence to take a risk bankrupting yourself on some business scheme. Or if you didn't get straight in straight away into a job in a company on a well above average salary because you knew someone who'd put a good word in, and this sort of advantage gave you the confidence to go for things you probably weren't that good at, believing that this was normal and right; and if you weren't baffled as to why the masses were moaning at your salary compared to theirs, nor understand why they didn't just do the same as you; and if you didn't go around blaming their attitude on envy, then you are probably working class.