In today’s society, ‘class’ can seem an outmoded concept, with distinctions between the social classes becoming more blurred over time. Collective identities appear to have given way to more individualised forms of expression. Most of us want to be seen for who we feel we are, not defined by the background or circumstances we were born into. But even if we accept social class exists in Britain today, which most people recognise, does it actually matter?

This book argues that class does matter, but it has changed. The British economy and society has been fundamentally remade during the course of the latter part of the 20th century, and while the traditional working class has declined in form and number, a new working class is emerging. In politics, class really matters, and the political articulation of social class through the parties has been one of the defining features of British politics. Political parties that fail to transform with economic and social change risk long-term decline. Yet the tectonic plates in society have shifted again in the last 40 years, and none of the major parties have been adept enough at understanding that shift and responding politically. This book sets out to tell the story of the emergence of the new working class, charting its composition and interests, and offering a political strategy rooted in its values and attitudes. More than anything, this book is an appeal to political parties to listen to the concerns of these voters and to act on them.

‘Hard working families’ and the ‘just about managing’

Social class is central to understanding politics, but politicians have generally shied away from using the overt language of ‘class’, preferring opaque groupings like ‘hard working families’. Even when political leaders mentioned class in the past, it tended to be in terms that leaders defined themselves against. Winston Churchill in opposition used class to denounce the government: ‘The driving force of Socialism is class hatred and envy’.1 Forty-five years later, Tony Blair claimed that the ‘class system, unequal and antiquated’ had been part of a past that had defined the nation, and declared that ‘The class war is over.