I thought the Labour party was meant to be the political party for and of the 'woking class'

It’s nothing to do with being working class or any other class Starmer was elected by tactical voting against the Tories
In this constituency Lib Dems got the benefit it was anyone but the Tory candidate it didn’t matter if you were a cleaner or the MD get rid of the conservatives

Reform is getting votes across the voter spectrum

Allira

M0nica

Allira

As a working class person myself I have never been invited to a dinner party which imo is very much a middle class cultural thing.
Oh!

But aren't we all middle-class now?
Quote from Lord Prescott

What is a dinner party? If a friend comes round and stays for a meal, Is that a dinner party?

It used to mean a formal meal with everyone dressed up and all the best china and glass out. That sort of dinner party, except in political and royal circles, went out in the 1970s.

I mean, even Samantha Cameron, talked about having 'kitchen suppers' as their way of entertaining, even when David Cameron was Prime Minister.

It means the neighbours/ friends coming round, cooking three courses, eating at the table in the dining room if you have one, and using serving dishes, not plonking it on the plates and expecting everyone to eat it all up.

That sort of dinner party, except in political and royal circles, went out in the 1970s.
We must have been Royal!

Everyone clean and tidy but not dressed up.

A jolly get-together.

We were definitely working class and friends, neighbours and relatives came round for dinner all the time.

I guess we stayed working class in spite of that because there were only two courses😬
Or maybe because we called it tea😂

We tend to have more informal drinks and nibbles now!
No-one is up to cooking any more.

^ 'had people round'^
Yes. But make sure you wear your ball-gown and elbow-length satin gloves!

If you put what you say into a historical context Terribull, all the signs point to revolution, or at least a change in the order of society.

Lathyrus3 😁
I don't care what you call it as long as I don't have to cook!

Anyway, it's not a matter of class in Government, or shouldn't be.
However, some have had quite deprived starts to life but still managed to gain an education.

Last time we had anything that might be considered a dinner party was when DD’s In-laws-to-be came for dinner and asked if grandparents could come as well.
First and last time I’ve ever used a wallpaper table for a sit down meal.
Now it’s nibbles or a buffet, and we are the grandparents!

Well, family comes round for dinner but DS often ends up taking over in the kitchen anyway!!

How should people behave to be eligible to vote Labour?

It would appear that having anything beyond basic education and eating with friends round a table disqualifies people.

I guess people believed that the Labour Party would work towards a more equal society. Or at least one in which nobody was unable to access the basics of life, decent food, clean water, a decent home, health care, a safe environment.

So the disillusionment is all the greater 🙁

Lathyrus3

I guess people believed that the Labour Party would work towards a more equal society. Or at least one in which nobody was unable to access the basics of life, decent food, clean water, a decent home, health care, a safe environment.

So the disillusionment is all the greater 🙁

If you compare equality now with the beginning of the 20th century, it's worked. There can't be many people now who have outside toilets and no running water, but there were before WW1. There were people who couldn't afford basic healthcare or education.

The situation has regressed in recent years, but it really is not true that the Labour Party hasn't worked towards a more equal society.

Oh I agree, they achieved great things in the past which is why my family were staunch Labour supporters.

I was talking about this government.

growstuff

How should people behave to be eligible to vote Labour?

It would appear that having anything beyond basic education and eating with friends round a table disqualifies people.

Well, you have to have a cloth cap, a whippet and call dinner tea.
Stereotyping.

Actually, calling dinner dinner is probably Non-U. Posh people call it supper.
Supper is really a couple of rich tea biscuits and a mug of cocoa.

Isn’t Lathyrus really saying that the current Labour government doesn’t appear to be working towards a decent life for all?

We know Labour achieved a great deal historically, but it really isn’t happening now to any meaningful extent.

It won’t improve until they let go of the terrible neoliberal economic ‘orthodoxy’, which they show no signs of doing.

The industrial working class has been diminishing in number since the 1920s. Labour can't just depend on a reducing class vote. It has to attract a wider electorate. The Left are deluded about that.

growstuff

How should people behave to be eligible to vote Labour?

It would appear that having anything beyond basic education and eating with friends round a table disqualifies people.

Sorry! That was then.

Now you have to have a degree in law or PPE from Oxford, Cambridge or a Russell Group University followed by time spent in a university in the USA or the LSE.

You should not just own your "family home" but also a second home in a desirable location where the hoi polloi undesirable locals have been driven out because property prices have shot up.

Your children will, of course, attend the local State school which is amongst the top of the league tables. It took time to choose the location of that family home with that in mind. There are always private tutors if the school fails them.

Sometimes you shop in Aldi or Lidl but keep quiet about your Ocado deliveries.

You believe in equality.

Do tell us more about the left’s delusions, Grantanow. People are always mentioning them in a derogatory way without really saying what they are.

At the moment I feel that the delusions rest firmly with Blue Labour, who are on the right…

Allira

growstuff

How should people behave to be eligible to vote Labour?

It would appear that having anything beyond basic education and eating with friends round a table disqualifies people.

Sorry! That was then.

Now you have to have a degree in law or PPE from Oxford, Cambridge or a Russell Group University followed by time spent in a university in the USA or the LSE.

You should not just own your "family home" but also a second home in a desirable location where the hoi polloi undesirable locals have been driven out because property prices have shot up.

Your children will, of course, attend the local State school which is amongst the top of the league tables. It took time to choose the location of that family home with that in mind. There are always private tutors if the school fails them.

Sometimes you shop in Aldi or Lidl but keep quiet about your Ocado deliveries.

You believe in equality.

Goodness, you do have a big chip on your shoulder, Alira

Or are we supposed to find that portrait amusing?

Allira

growstuff

How should people behave to be eligible to vote Labour?

It would appear that having anything beyond basic education and eating with friends round a table disqualifies people.

Sorry! That was then.

Now you have to have a degree in law or PPE from Oxford, Cambridge or a Russell Group University followed by time spent in a university in the USA or the LSE.

You should not just own your "family home" but also a second home in a desirable location where the hoi polloi undesirable locals have been driven out because property prices have shot up.

Your children will, of course, attend the local State school which is amongst the top of the league tables. It took time to choose the location of that family home with that in mind. There are always private tutors if the school fails them.

Sometimes you shop in Aldi or Lidl but keep quiet about your Ocado deliveries.

You believe in equality.

Well, that's about as clear as mud.

I thought one had to be "working class" to vote Labour - otherwise, you're a champagne socialist. It's OK to vote Reform (so it seems) because they stand up for the working people - errmm - even though they obviously don't. Farage (ex - Dulwich College and London Metal Exchange trader) and all those new young councillors with politics degrees. How come they don't attract the same kind of criticism as Labour?

FFS do you have to keep attacking me?
What is your problem?

I used to read your posts and think they were quite informative and interesting but now they're just plain rude.

Gransnet is fraught and, quite honestly boring enough at times and needs a few tongue-in-cheek posts as we used to have a while ago.

Not you, growstuff although you obviously needed a Very Serious Answer!

It was MaizieD who was rude.

I'll leave the Big Girls to it.

😂😂😂

growstuff

Allira

growstuff

How should people behave to be eligible to vote Labour?

It would appear that having anything beyond basic education and eating with friends round a table disqualifies people.

Sorry! That was then.

Now you have to have a degree in law or PPE from Oxford, Cambridge or a Russell Group University followed by time spent in a university in the USA or the LSE.

You should not just own your "family home" but also a second home in a desirable location where the hoi polloi undesirable locals have been driven out because property prices have shot up.

Your children will, of course, attend the local State school which is amongst the top of the league tables. It took time to choose the location of that family home with that in mind. There are always private tutors if the school fails them.

Sometimes you shop in Aldi or Lidl but keep quiet about your Ocado deliveries.

You believe in equality.

Well, that's about as clear as mud.

I thought one had to be "working class" to vote Labour - otherwise, you're a champagne socialist. It's OK to vote Reform (so it seems) because they stand up for the working people - errmm - even though they obviously don't. Farage (ex - Dulwich College and London Metal Exchange trader) and all those new young councillors with politics degrees. How come they don't attract the same kind of criticism as Labour?

That is clear as mud too.

I’ve been posting on N & P for almost 10 years, Alira and it has never been a great place for tongue in cheek posts. Your )description’ of a Labour voter could have been perfectly serious. I’ve seen enough of them over the years

Oh, come on, growstuff. Reform does have the lovely Darren Grimes, not a degree in sight and let off cheating over his funding for his Brexit campaign because he was too dim to fill in the form properly..
Now vice chair of my local council 😱

MaizieD

Oh, come on, growstuff. Reform does have the lovely Darren Grimes, not a degree in sight and let off cheating over his funding for his Brexit campaign because he was too dim to fill in the form properly..
Now vice chair of my local council 😱

You have my sympathy!

Seriously, you only have to look at him and realise there is no such thing as meritocracy in the UK.

I'm presumably not eligible to vote Labour, so I'm really very confused.

Iam64
my experience of families like the one Angela Rayner grew up in that they can’t really be called working class as often we are third generation since anyone went out to work. They’re a benefit claiming class.

Primrose53
She was on benefits though unlike AJ family. I believe his Mother worked 3 jobs to support them.

Coincidentally, AR describes on her website “for the most part, I was raised by my grandma who worked at three jobs to put food on the table and didn't stop until the day she died – three days before her 65th birthday."

AR’s mother probably was on benefits as she was living with chronic bipolar disorder. I doubt it was a lifestyle choice.