Perhaps we need to categorise people as poor, comfortably off, rich and mega rich. Not sure exactly where one draws the boundaries but I agree the definition of working, middle and upper class are outmoded (although I think Sir Kier uses the term working people, not the Marxist "class" term) - where do you fit Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, Richie Sunak, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or even Eugene Kaspersky in the old class structure. I'm not sure a one dimensional model even fits the require: where do we fit differences such as manual workers, information and knowledge workers, managers, executives, sales engineers ... these days, do we define people by what they do and how much they earn rather than family wealth?I think what Starmer is remembering is the 50s and 60s when many families lived from week to week on a wage that barely covered food, clothes and accommodation and perhaps one two week holiday by the sea in summer - something I also remember from my childhood. The sad thing is, after 14 years of various Tory governments many are now reduced to are struggling to live on their incomes and having to use foodbanks, facing evictions, etc and, as Ed points out, social mobility seems to have stalled along with Mr Gove's attempts at levelling up. We seem to have regressed to a point I thought we'd left four or five decades ago ... although comparisons are difficult because of other changes and some things unimaginable then, such as Internet access to claim benefits easily and bank accounts for everyone, have become essential to live in the current world.
Michael Ixer ● 393d