TryGOLD- Free

The classless society was a lie. The class system isn't dead, it's been reimagined
Evening Standard|September 17, 2024
READING the dripping with snobbery and class-prejudice articles and social media attacks on Charlie Mullins, the Pimlico Plumbers boss who has declared he is taking all of his money out of the UK because of Labour’s attitude to the wealthy, I suddenly realised that there has been a seismic shift in British culture.
- Anna van Praagh
The classless society was a lie. The class system isn't dead, it's been reimagined

Snobbery, the national sport we Brits are most famous for, never went away, it has shape-shifted, metamorphosed and re-emerged in a different form. The British class system isn’t dead, it has been reimagined.

But it is no longer your physical characteristics that can be mocked for being naff, or your car or your kitchen or your accent; it is your beliefs. Thoughts and political opinions are the new class signifiers in Starmer’s Britain.

Think immigration is too high? You might as well be driving a white Range Rover with teeth sparkling from a trip to Turkey. Voted for Brexit? You may as well have concreted over your front garden in order to use it to park your car. Not enthusiastic about the gender diversity agenda? Unbelievably common.

Being on the wrong side of the culture wars is the new Non-U.

The American historian Christopher Lasch argued that modern global elites have more in common with each other than the poorer people from their own countries and this is true too of our new class overlords.

This story is from the September 17, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 17, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EVENING STANDARDView All
Arteta's five-year Lewis-Skelly plan pays out in gold
The London Standard

Arteta's five-year Lewis-Skelly plan pays out in gold

Teenage star's precocious talent and fearless nature justifies the hype in breakthrough season

time-read
5 mins  |
February 13, 2025
The Hill Garden and Pergola
The London Standard

The Hill Garden and Pergola

Can heritage be romantic? Without a doubt.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 13, 2025
Reallife calling: don't let AI suck the love out of online dating
The London Standard

Reallife calling: don't let AI suck the love out of online dating

In Spike Jonze's 2013 film, Her, Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with the AI chatbot inside his phone.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 13, 2025
Why Space X could destroy the fragile Musk-Trump bromance
The London Standard

Why Space X could destroy the fragile Musk-Trump bromance

The race to Mars could make or break Elon Musk's special relationship with the President

time-read
4 mins  |
February 13, 2025
At home with...Sarah CorbettWinder
The London Standard

At home with...Sarah CorbettWinder

The stylist is creating a playful escape for her family

time-read
4 mins  |
February 13, 2025
The London Standard

How a cancelled cult designer rose again

The rise, fall and rise of Art School's Eden Loweth

time-read
4 mins  |
February 13, 2025
The bill wasn't the only hard thing to swallow
The London Standard

The bill wasn't the only hard thing to swallow

Let's get to it: the bill was a horror. £309 for two. For a night of fried chicken and snails and no pudding. For God's sake.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 13, 2025
Is there anyone left in London who hasn't got ADHD?
The London Standard

Is there anyone left in London who hasn't got ADHD?

We're reaching a saturation point of over-diagnosis and the internet is to blame, say psychiatrists

time-read
4 mins  |
February 13, 2025
Sophistication andwitare in short supplyin this tired sequel
The London Standard

Sophistication andwitare in short supplyin this tired sequel

To paraphrase her own mode of self-criticism, this latest instalment in the saga of hapless London singleton Bridget Jones is v v poor.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 13, 2025
facing Oh, baby! London's the mother of all problems
The London Standard

facing Oh, baby! London's the mother of all problems

We're having fewer and fewer children. Why, and what does it mean for our city?

time-read
8 mins  |
February 13, 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more