"Class is the basis of British party politics ; all else is embellishment and detail” – Peter Pulzer, 1967 Copy this quote down

Lesson Objectives I will get the opportunity to develop my understanding of social class and its influence on voters

Introduction – Don’t copy Q - What class do you belong to? This is a difficult question to answer. What class means to us today is not the same as what it meant 30+ years ago How do we measure class? It is not as simple as money. Is Wayne Rooney really upper class? Regardless of this, voting behaviour in this country has long been explained on the basis of class Conservatives gain the upper/upper middle class while Labour gain the working class vote. That has been the traditional viewpoint

Class Structure (as at 2001) – Don’t copy A- Higher professional and managerial workers B Lower managerial and professional workers C1 and C2 - Intermediate occupations C1 and C2 - Small Employers and non professional self-employed C1 and C2 Lower Supervisory and technical D - Semi-Routine Occupations D - Routine Occupations E - Long-term unemployed

BBC Class Survey – Seven New Classes Identified (Don’t copy) CLASS HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN DEFINED BY OCCUPATION, WEALTH AND EDUCATION. BUT THE BBC RESEARCH ARGUES THAT THIS IS TOO SIMPLISTIC, SUGGESTING THAT CLASS HAS THREE DIMENSIONS - ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL. THE BBC LAB UK STUDY MEASURED ECONOMIC CAPITAL - INCOME, SAVINGS, HOUSE VALUE - AND SOCIAL CAPITAL - THE NUMBER AND STATUS OF PEOPLE SOMEONE KNOWS. THE STUDY ALSO MEASURED CULTURAL CAPITAL, DEFINED AS THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF CULTURAL INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES

BBC Class Survey – Seven New Classes Identified (Don’t copy) Elite - the most privileged group in the UK, distinct from the other six classes through its wealth. This group has the highest levels of all three capitals Established middle class - the second wealthiest, scoring highly on all three capitals. The largest and most gregarious group, scoring second highest for cultural capital Technical middle class - a small, distinctive new class group which is prosperous but scores low for social and cultural capital. Distinguished by its social isolation and cultural apathy New affluent workers - a young class group which is socially and culturally active, with middling levels of economic capital Traditional working class - scores low on all forms of capital, but is not completely deprived. Its members have reasonably high house values, explained by this group having the oldest average age at 66 Emergent service workers - a new, young, urban group which is relatively poor but has high social and cultural capital Precariat, or precarious proletariat - the poorest, most deprived class, scoring low for social and cultural capital

Introduction – Don’t copy Q - What class do you belong to? This is a difficult question to answer. What class means to us today is not the same as what it meant 30+ years ago How do we measure class? It is not as simple as money. Is Wayne Rooney really upper class? Regardless of this, voting behaviour in this country has long been explained on the basis of class Conservatives gain the upper/upper middle class while Labour gain the working class vote. That has been the traditional viewpoint

Changed days In the 90’s, Tony Blair’s New Labour realised that they had lost the ‘new’ working class vote to the Conservatives The working classes now had aspirations. They wanted to own their home, have a car etc. Therefore Labour changed. Although they retained their values which won them the ‘old’ working classes, they started to chase the ‘new’ working class vote New Labour was born, which campaigned for votes from all the classes, pitching a ‘big tent’ of politics However despite this, class remains an important factor in voting behaviour

Notes Take a copy of the worksheet from your teacher Read the notes and complete the questions that go with them

Conclusion Class is still the best explanation for long term voting behaviour and for the high number of safe eats we have in the UK However it is not as influential as as it once was and an increase in floating voters is evidence of this