There is no one type of ‘working person', and it’s an indictment of our politics that such an obvious point has to be made.
There is no one type of ‘working person’, and it’s an indictment of our politics that such an obvious point has to be made
A Labour politician tweets a picture of a house with three England flags and a white van in the driveway. The Labour leader sacks said politician and takes to The Mirror to declare, rather desperately, that Labour is still ‘the party of working people’.
Unfortunately for Miliband, the fact that he thought this was a proportionate and normal reaction to Emily Thornberry’s tweet merely highlights what he wanted to conceal.
It shows his profound disconnection from those who might once have been described as working class (an expression that is now eschewed in favour of ‘working people’, presumably because of its socialist connotations).
Miliband could simply have said that he disagreed with the (inferred) criticism contained in Thornberry’s tweet and that people should be able to fly the English flag with pride and without reproach.
Instead he felt that the tweet was an attack on the values and practices of ‘working people’. All of them.
“The Labour Party was founded as the party of working people,” he wrote. “We are the party of working people. And we will always remain the party of working people. That is why I was furious at the tweet by Emily Thornberry…”
It certainly seems to be more common to see England flags in poorer areas than in more affluent ones. But outside a major international sporting event, observation would suggest that only a small minority of people choose to fly the St George Cross.
It is not only patronising to suggest that all working people have similar values (are all working people the same to you, Ed?!), it betrays the type of sweeping generalisation that can only be made from a position of ignorance.
Dan Ware, the owner of the house in question, is no more typical of ‘working people’ than Emily Thornberry is of millionaire homeowners. There will be many so-called working people who are not nationalistic and who wouldn’t fly an England flag, especially during a by-election where the candidate tipped to win has spoken favourably about repatriation of migrants.
There are millions of people in this category of ‘working people’, people with different jobs, backgrounds and cultures. There is no one type of ‘working person’ or uniform working class culture, and it’s an indictment of our politics that such an obvious point has to be made.
Annie Powell is a contributing editor at Left Foot Forward. Follow her on Twitter
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
20 Responses to “What exactly does Ed Miliband think it means to be a ‘working person’?”
Wyrdtimes
“There will be many so-called working people who are not nationalistic and who wouldn’t fly an England flag, especially during a by-election where the candidate tipped to win has spoken favourably about repatriation of migrants.”
I don’t see your concerned connection between the Cross of St George – the flag of England – and a by-election where immigration or anything else is discussed. Unless you’ve been brainwashed by the UKish media that continually associates the CoSTG with racism.
Presumably the author would have no concerns if the flag had been a Union Flag? The Union Flag. Flag of empire. Flag of the BNP. Flag of the BUF. Flag of Liberty GB. Flag of British Freedom, of the Conservatives, UKIP, Labour and the LibDems.
The Cross of St George is spotless in comparison to your Union Flag. Expect to see more of them as the English continue to wake up to the establishments contempt of the English.
Englishoak
It was about the flags. We all know it. I’m an “ethnic minority” (and I hate that phrase with a passion), but it’s my flag as well & if it disgusts Labour so much then they don’t deserve my vote & won’t be getting it either.
damon
In 2006, Joseph Harker of the Guardian said that seeing white van man with a flag on his vehicle left him feeling anxious. And he wrote of them being ”white, male, tattooed, pot bellied 35 to 55 year olds” and said that these were the types that were always going on about immigration and ”losing control of our country”.
That sounded pretty prejudiced to me, but he got away with it.
oatcakecorral
On the subject of flags I’m old enough to recall the 1966 World Cup. I was 11. I was living on a Council estate in Stoke. I don’t remember any St George flags flying during the finals and if you look at Wembley at the final I think its the Union flag that is prominent and not a St George flag in sight
I think the St George flag flying dates from the 90s and probably the 96 Euro. Why? I suppose there are many possible reasons. The rise of nationalism, Europe, a loss of confidence?
madasafish
Easily done.
Ensure your socialist millionaires pay a lot more tax so they are no longer millionaires before they impose any more taxes on those of us who are not.
The Tories don’t pretend. The Labour Party does. It’s called hypocrisy.
And then UKIP comes along and you are stuffed.