What class are you?

In the old days it was petty straight forward to work out how you fitted into British society, you were either working class, middle class or upper class.  

Well in principle it was simple,  the reality was somewhat more complicated as no-one wanted to be middle class and the aristocracy didn't want to be lumped in with the upper class and the working class seldom did any work.


The BBC who see themselves as quasi social engineers (we pay for this nonsense) have come up with a new classification which now has seven bands ranging from the elite at the top to a "precariat" - the poor, precarious proletariat - at the bottom.

1. Elite - the most privileged group in the UK, distinct from the other six classes through its wealth.
2. Established middle class - the second wealthiest, scoring highly on all three capitals.
3. Technical middle class - Distinguished by its social isolation and cultural apathy
4. New affluent workers - a young class group which is socially and culturally active
5. Traditional working class - scores low on all forms of capital and the oldest average age at 66
6. Emergent service workers - a new, young, urban group - poor but has high social and cultural capital
7. Precariat, or precarious proletariat - the poorest, most deprived class

Interestingly the study looked at social capital (who you know) and cultural capital (what interests you) in addition to the normal economic capital (what you own).  You can find out what class you fall into here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22000973

A spokesperson at the BBC said "It shows us there is still a top and a bottom, at the top we still have an elite of very wealthy people and at the bottom the poor, with very little social and cultural engagement," she also said.  "It's what's in the middle which is really interesting and exciting, there's a much more fuzzy area between the traditional working class and traditional middle class”.  The question is why do we need this new classification, who will use it and to what end?  

I still prefer my own segmentation of the population that I prepared David Cameron as he considers the 2015 election

http://getwd50.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-polite-bribe.html

Here is my extended list to cover off the whole spectrum of the UK's political classes

• Idle Idiots - these are those either too stupid or rich to vote or too idol to think about their options (die hard Tory and Labour voters).  Found in large numbers everywhere
• Brown Brothers - these are the people who benefited most under Labour.  Mostly in public services or on welfare they got lucky with tax credits, state pensions and generous pay increases.  Mostly living in the North of England and Hackney
• Dave's Darlings - Predominantly working in the private sector or retired with some savings of their own. These middle income earners have been the main target for the austerity measures.
• The in Vinceables – Charmingly an unworldly people who still think that facial hair and voting liberal is acceptable.  Mostly working in NGOs and in the not-for-profit sector and hoping for a return to the lib-lab pact and Paddy Ashdown’s leadership
• The partially sighted – Those how find it impossible to see that UKIP are a joke in terms of national politics.  Pre-dominantly found at drinks parties in Surrey but also recently spotted in Hampshire
• The celtic fringe – latent communists who believe they would be better off without the money that flows from England, mostly living in Scotland but also found in Wales and Cornwall
• Investment bankers, decorators and potato pickers – Extremely unpopular at the moment but mostly from overseas so not entitle to vote