UK politics and marginalization of the indigenous working class
UK politics and marginalization of the indigenous working class
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The only certainty in politics is the continuing marginalization of the indigenous working class in the upper echelons of politics in the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland). In the last few decades, the proportion of ethnic minorities, women, and members of the LGB community continues to increase in representation in the House of Parliament.
Paradoxically, the marginalization and squeezing out of the indigenous working class continues. At the same time, in many major cities throughout the United Kingdom, it is the indigenous working class who have felt the convulsions of mass immigration, family social breakdowns, the decline of Christianity and culture, and are blighted by high crime and falling behind in many league tables – from representation at elite universities to life expectancy.
University College London reports, “When the Labour Party first achieved electoral success in the 1920s, more than 70% of its MPs were drawn from working-class backgrounds. This has declined drastically from the mid-80s and today just 8% of Labour MPs are working-class.”
The Guardian reports, “Only about 1% of the current crop of Tory MPs entered parliament from a working-class job, according to new research that suggests a growing “representation gap” in parliament.”
Limited indigenous working-class representation in the Conservative Party is nothing new – even if 1% is low by the standards of this political party.
Angela Rayner (Labour Party) said, “When I first went into parliament it was like going into Hogwarts,” she said. “It can be intimidating to think of all the people who have stood at the dispatch box before me, as well as mixing with people from huge wealth, privilege and with expensive education.”
The leaders of the four main political parties in the United Kingdom are Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the Conservative Party (South Asian – Winchester College is a public school and fee-charging – Hindu); Sir Keir Starmer of the Labour Party (Reigate Grammar School – children brought up in the faith of Judaism); Humza Haroon Yousaf of the Scottish National Party (South Asian – Hutchesons’ Grammar School – Muslim); and Sir Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrat Party (Nottingham High School which is a fee-paying school – Christian).
After this, the three most powerful political positions in the United Kingdom outside of the leader of the nation are the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, and Home Secretary. The Foreign Secretary is James Cleverly (British father and mother from Sierra Leonne – privately educated at Riverston School and Colfe’s school); the Home Secretary is Suella Braverman (South Asian – Heathfield School is fee-paying – Buddhist); and the Chancellor is Jeremy Hunt (Charterhouse is a public school and high fee-paying – Christian).
Over 85% of children attend state schools (excluding Grammar Schools) in England. Hence, not one individual in the above two paragraphs comes from the state school system before entering university. Also, not one is indigenous working class.
The National Education Opportunity Network said that 50% of universities in England had only 5% or less coming from indigenous working-class backgrounds. At elite universities, the figure is often lower.
The former Education Secretary Damian Hinds said, “White British disadvantaged boys are the least likely of any large ethnic group to go to university. We need to ask ourselves why that is and challenge the government, universities and the wider system on it. Universities need to look at the data, including dropout rates, outreach activity and admissions policies to make sure they are improving their access and successful participation.”
It is the same in the cultural scene. The Guardian reports, “Analysis of Office for National Statistics data found that 16.4% of creative workers born between 1953 and 1962 had a working-class background, but that had fallen to just 7.9% for those born four decades later.”
The indigenous working class concerning elite universities, creative workers, elite politicians, and other areas of society are being squeezed out collectively by the upper-class and middle-class of all ethnic groups, ethnic minorities, and the LGB community (politics and creative workers).
Indeed, in education, indigenous working-class males are also falling behind working-class girls.
Naturally, this issue is extremely complex. However, the underlying theme is growing marginalization and the collapse of indigenous culture compared with the continuity – on the whole – of upper-class whites, middle-class whites, and an array of ethnic and religious minorities.
BRITISH HISTORY
If we go back into British history, the working class fed the Industrial Revolution. Oxford’s Professor Jane Humphries – in her book Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution – highlights the horrendous conditions of the Industrial Revolution.
The Independent reports (on the findings of Professor Jane Humphries), “The new research shows the extent to which Britain’s Industrial Revolution – the first in the world – was initially dependent, as far as the factories were concerned, on what were, in effect, child slaves. They weren’t paid – simply fed and given dormitory accommodation. In the 1790s, there were, at any one time, tens of thousands of such unpaid child workers.”
Her findings specify that roughly 35 percent of working-class boys aged 10 worked during most of the eighteenth century. However, after the inroads of the Industrial Revolution, this figure reached 55 percent between 1791-1820. This further increased to 60 percent of children in the same social and age bracket between 1821-1850
In modern times, the indigenous working class continues to be marginalized in many areas of society.
Of course, not all ethnic groups are thriving related to complex factors. However, the indigenous working class comes at the bottom – or near the bottom – of various tables: from education to life expectancy.
The unseen of yesteryear remain marginalized in modern society.
https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-jane-humphries
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/english-working-class-workhouse-through-japanese-eyes-sawako-utsumi.htmlEnglish working-class workhouse through Japanese eyes
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