Drastic Socioeconomic Inequalities in the U.K.
It is becoming more and more evident everyday how drastic the socioeconomic inequalities are in the U.K. From families living paycheck to paycheck, to the families looking to buy a second home, peoples socioeconomic status are becoming more and more polarized by the minute. For those who don’t know, socioeconomic inequalities is defined as, “disparities that individuals might have in both their economic and social resources that are linked to their social class,” (eachother.org 2019). The big questions to ask are what is being done to stop this trend of rising inequalities, and how is it effecting peoples political engagement across the U.K.? In this blog I’ll be analyzing all the differences in socioeconomic status in the U.K. and will add some possible solutions for how society can minimize inequalities between social classes.
Lower Class
The lower class, specifically the ‘precariat’ class, according to a survey done by Science Daily, makes up roughly 15% of the U.K.’s population, (SAGE Publications 2013). The “precariat” class earn about 8,000 GBP, typically rent out their homes, and have an average savings of 800 GBP. Within the working class, there is also another population of people a step above the ‘precariat’ class known as the Emergent Service Workers. Even though this class is slightly higher, according to the same study from Science Daily, these Emergent Service Workers make up 19% of the population, have an average income of 21,000 GBP, and have an average savings of 1,000 GBP. There are several other classes that fit into the lower class, but for the sake of this blog I’ll just focus on these two.
It’s hard to imagine how people from these two classes can manage living their life and handle their finances while also remaining politically engaged. Despite their possible lack of time, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, “between 2015 and 2017,” low income voters “rate of turnout increased by seven percentage points,” (Goodwin, Matthew, Heath, Oliver 2019). So, even though some may think that the lower class isn’t as politically engaged as other classes, it may be that times are changing and we’re entering an era where people from all classes are more politically engaged. Below is a graph that shows the percentage of voter turnout amongst different social classes from 2015-2019.
Photo credits: Ipsos MORI
Even though the numbers show increase in engagement, the same article also mentioned that, “Low-income voters have become more volatile overtime. Today they are less tribally loyal to one party,” (Goodwin, Heath). So, even though lower-income civilians are more engaged today, political parties have to be careful with how they approach gaining supporters for their party or else they could lose voters and the U.K. political agenda could change for the worse. Because there is a potential risk that people from a lower-income might be more easily persuaded, citizens of the middle and upper classes also have to be careful with how they engage with lower class citizens so as not to influence them in a political direction that doesn’t work for the majority. What do you believe the mindset towards politics is for lower class citizens in present day? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Upper Class
Photo credits: The Ladders.com
As for the upper class population, according to the same Science Daily article above, just 6% is considered part of the “elite class.” This exclusive class has an average salary of 89,000 GBP and has an average savings 0f 140,000 GBP. People from this class typically have lots of connections to people in other high paying jobs, are well educated, and are perceived as the most advantaged and privileged class.
It won’t come as a shock that the upper class of the U.K. has a pretty high engagement when it comes to politics. It is not surprising because people from the “elite class” have the time and resources to vote and engage in politics. But beyond time and resources, being that this class is typically more educated than other classes means they’re less easily persuaded and that can give them an advantage on how best to participate and influence elections in their favor.
Even though the upper class population is smaller compared to the middle and lower classes, the amount of wealth, power and resources allows people from this class to have a strong influence on local and national elections. This has had a major effect on the middle and lower classes because despite the population sizes being in favor of the lower classes, the “elite class” can still end up determining the outcome of an election because of their power, influence, and the political campaigns they choose to financially support. How do you think the upper class has influenced the U.K.’s politics?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS1DYfDq1eQ&t=93s
Bridging the Gap
Although it may seem pointless for lower classes to engage in politics because of how influential the upper class can be, there are still ways lower classes can participate in politics and even the playing field for everyone. Because there are more people in the lower class population than in the upper, just their higher numbers alone could help sway elections if they’re committed to having a higher voting turnout than the upper class. Making a conscious effort to be more politically engaged is also a step in the right direction. If those in the lower class can influence people in the middle class to vote in the same parties, that increases their likeliness of swaying elections to their favor because of their higher numbers.
The fate of the U.K. cannot just be left up to the lower and middle classes. Even if the majority of the upper class is in favor of how things are right now in the U.K., if the lower classes begin to lose jobs, are unable to pay their taxes, and the economy crashes because of the lack of work, then this will inevitably effect the upper class. Brexit is a prime example of proof that living in the U.K. has become more challenging because the cost of living has gone up significantly but peoples living wages are still relatively the same. If this trend continues then there won’t be anyone who is part of the “elite class” because the economy will have spiraled down to the point where theres no work or production. If the “elite class” wants to continue living their lifestyle than they need to make some sacrifices and be willing to elect those into parliament who will restore things back to the way they were; back when the U.K. was in the E.U. and the difference in socioeconomic status was not so polarized. What do you believe is the best way to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes?
Sources:
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Institute for Fiscal Studies. “How has the pandemic affected living standards?” 8 July, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS1DYfDq1eQ&t=93s
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Hi Andrew,
Thank you for bringing this topic to everyone’s attention! I absolutely agree with you on the fact there is class inequality when it comes to political engagement. That is why I was happy to read your blog, as I think this is a good way to make people aware of the problem!
To answer your question about the upper class’s influence on politics: I think the upper class has changed politics in many ways. One of them was favouring lower taxes and at the same time reducing welfare support. Of course, there are many other impacts, however, I find that this is one of the most significant personally. This is because instead of increasing the taxes on wealthier people and using that money for welfare, the upper class is keener on keeping it to themselves. Would you agree that politics like this only increase the gap between rich and poor?
As you have pointed out in your blog, the upper class’s amount of power and resources gives them a lot of advantages to influence politics in their own ways. Socioeconomic inequalities are certainly a huge issue and I am happy to see more and more people are talking about it!