Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy has given his views on why so few people from working class backgrounds get into Westminster. Andrew makes some valid points which you can read by clicking here. Do you share his views?
Central to the issue, though, is defining the phrase "working class." Various attempts have been made down the decades, including: Which school you attended, your own/father's occupation, and whether you lived in a property rented from the local council.
Following the Right to Buy scheme's rapid growth since the 1980s, many former council houses are now in private ownership - bought by their tenants. So that no longer seems much of a yardstick in deciding class.
Similarly, the expansion of comprehensive education and the removal of grammar and high schools in our neck of the woods has further clouded the issue, as has the ever rising percentage of young people who go on to universities.
Britain has yet to shake off the class stigma so brilliantly lampooned in the 1960s by the TV comedy sketch featuring The Two Ronnies and John Cleese. The other two looked down on Corbett, in his cloth cap, because they were upper and middle class and he was only working class.
Recently there were stories in the media about a high-ranking Forces officer who was unhappy with the lack of table manners being shown by his subordinates in the Mess.
With the Briggensians' Association sit-down dinner coming up tomorrow, we will try to show that even someone brought up in "Brigg Prefabs" can learn which knife and folk to use. We also know to break off sections of bread rather than dunking the entire roll in the soup!
EDUCATION IS A WONDERFUL THING!
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