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Corbyn / BBC declare social class of employees?

(508 Posts)
POGS Thu 23-Aug-18 00:23:58

It is said Corbyn will today (Thursday) announce how Labour will reform the BBC. If this turns out to be false news then I apologise now.

It is being discussed in the media how one of his /Labours ideas is for the BBC to declare the ' Social Class ' of employees.

If this is even a thought I find that principal very alarming and if true I expect the Labour Party to lead by example and do the same for all employees including the Shadow Cabinet and all MP's.

How do you work out a persons Social Class? By Wealth, Education, Family background?

I would tell somebody requiring that of me to ' Go Forth'.

absent Thu 23-Aug-18 04:45:33

Sounds extremely unlikely.

kittylester Thu 23-Aug-18 06:40:58

The BBC is reporting this morning that he is going to say that fb and Netflix should pay tax to support the BBC.

I'm slightly shocked that I think this is a really good idea.

I agree POGS about class identification - who decides anyway.

MawBroon Thu 23-Aug-18 06:41:05

Social class?
Who uses that sort of term these days?
We’ll be expecting some sort of directive on U and non-U at this rate and disclosing how many horses, carriages and footmen one has next!
Stupid.

mcem Thu 23-Aug-18 06:44:28

Have just heard this on Today!
Although not a Corbyn supporter, I am not violently anti either. I believe the idea behind these 'social class' investigations is absolute nonsense but more worrying is the fact that he is wasting time and energy on his point of principle!
With all that's going on in politics, he should reassess his priorities instead of inventing new problems!

Greyduster Thu 23-Aug-18 06:53:59

If this is true it would be interesting to know what is the thinking behind it and how they intend to use the information once they've got it. Sounds like some sort of social engineering exercise.

OldMeg Thu 23-Aug-18 07:08:39

Stop your whingeing, it’s very simple.

Social Class Sketch

kittylester Thu 23-Aug-18 07:46:40

Wonder what class Jeremy considers himself to be?

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 07:51:36

A champagne socialist like most of the rest of them.

Hope it’s going to be broadcast live on the BBC much like OldMegs link. They could stand in line and have a kind of race to the bottom? grin

Elegran Thu 23-Aug-18 07:55:07

I assumed that employees were just people.

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 08:02:16

Oh It would be fun if it became compulsory in every workplace . I think I would be in last place (could fight it out with one of the electricians) I’m by far the least paid too. wink

We could have full lines of social class and rankings outside every factory, shop and workplace with everyone standing in line..... and how useful to the economy . That JC’s not just a pretty face is he?

sodapop Thu 23-Aug-18 08:15:02

I can see that application forms are going to be very long in future by the time all the gender and class options have been explored. Academic and other achievements will be way down the list.

Anniebach Thu 23-Aug-18 08:24:04

i am concerned for this man. Last week he remembered he was at a wreath laying tribute to terrorists but didn’t know if he was involved .

Now he thinks he is in the thirties and is fighting a class war.

The social class and the Beeb is connected to Oxbridge selections. Perhaps he thinks he should have studied there , he did get a couple of ‘E’ levels and was privately educated to the age of 11.

Another ‘let’s please the militant students’

Elegran Thu 23-Aug-18 08:25:43

Under "Previous experience", instead of listing their employment and responsibilities history, people would put, "Born in a slum in the Gorbals, graduated from Saughton with first-class honours, married daughter of drug baron and took over his empire, divorced first wife and am currently married to heiress of a peer of the realm. Member of six exclusive West End clubs and Momentum. Social class - fluid and non-binary."

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 08:48:13

Interesting discussion on my local BBC radio with Alan Milburn, this morning. Apparently statistics show that the next generation (on the whole) have always been better off than their own parents and this new generation of young people will be the first to be far worse off than their parents.

The North South divide is wider than ever. Tell me something we didn’t know.

Anniebach Thu 23-Aug-18 08:53:31

What about the West?

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 08:54:25

It’s Radio Newcastle Annie so they really only discuss NE issues.

kittylester Thu 23-Aug-18 08:56:48

annie, your post at 8.24 made me splutter my cornflakes!

Anniebach Thu 23-Aug-18 08:58:46

Same as the weather forecasters Gilly.

M0nica Thu 23-Aug-18 09:01:33

Surely we are all working class, Don't the majority of us - whether street sweeper or High Court Judge depend on the wage we bring in every month to support us. Even if we have savings, weren't those accrued by putting aside earnings?

gillybob, just because something happened in the past is no reason why it should continue into the future. Sooner or later growth income and standards of living were bound to slow down and come to a halt.

We already consume more than our planet can supply and while there will always be adjustments between groups, and some groups do need to see a growth in their incomes, overall I think we would all benefit from a gentle fall in our expectations and better sense of living within our means both personal and global.

Anniebach Thu 23-Aug-18 09:03:23

So sorry kitty ?,

Elegran, please, please, please, who was educated at Saughton? I thought that was in Australia

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 09:04:41

Well pretty much Annie they regularly cut back to the main news but all their discussions are mainly centred around the NE . Pretty much like all local radio .

Alan Milburn (former Health Secretary) was born in a poor area of Newcastle and he is concerned that a young person born into the same area today would have far less chances in life than he did. Sad that things should improve for our young people and not go backwards.

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 09:06:21

There is a huge difference in opportunity from a child born into a wealthy area of the country, to a child born into a poorer area. Anyone who can’t see this clearly lives in the wealthy area and is quite happy wearing their blinkers.

Anniebach Thu 23-Aug-18 09:09:17

Then perhaps a thread on the north south divide gilly,

gillybob Thu 23-Aug-18 09:12:02

I think it’s quite relevant to this discussion on “class” and “ social standing” .

Also relevant that on the whole ( not talking about pockets of areas) the next generation are going to be far worse off than the previous .