Needless to say, we live in a society riddled with self-serving opportunists who outcast certain groups for their political gain and to the detriment of the working class. The shark-infested waters that politics has become seeks out the weak and devours their hope. Following on from the 2016 referendum which witnessed the public inexplicably lied to and hoodwinked into believing that a better Britain was an independent Britain, the low SES group have seemingly had their heart ripped out of them, particularly the 18-34 manual/unemployed which saw a lowly 35% voter turnout in the 2017 General Election (Ipsos Mori 2017). As democratic institutions lose responsiveness and legitimacy to the aforementioned socioeconomic group due to their lack of engagement, higher socioeconomic groups profit as their vote, in many ways, becomes a national consensus. The question that needs addressing is how do we give a voice to the voiceless?
Fig.1. Significant decline among lower social class groups in GE 2017 from 2016 referendum (Ipsos Mori 2017)
Easy.
I get that we are prisoners of our reality and being 21 years old, some might consider the ship to have sailed in terms of encouraging political engagement for my age and socioeconomic demographic, however, the next generation of low SES can reap the rewards of engaging in politics through education and having the voice I never had. Having previously lived an estate and attended a low socioeconomic status school, the access to learning and exploring the political landscape was minimal at best; often PSCHE/ political classes were filler and an environment to complete homework of other classes.
This must change.
Is it too much to ask for schools to empower their students of low SES? Through the participatory process and giving students positions with a modicum of political value such as school councils as well as citizenship classes with specific learning outcomes, it encourages them to become politically engaged and consequently have a voice. Research by Professor Bryony Hoskins found that in over 6000 students, there were no significant differences in their access to citizenship classes by socioeconomic background, however their voluntary participation saw alarming differences as those from poor social backgrounds are found unwilling to volunteer in political activities (George 2018). Again, we must empower those who feel powerless, and this starts from the bottom up. Tackling this issue in schools will have a baring on higher education whereby the number of students who attend Russell Groups continue to dwindle as only 5 % of English teenagers who took A-levels or equivalent qualifications in 2012-13 and were eligible for free school meals were admitted to Russell Group universities the following year, which incidentally has increased to only 3% of students going to Russell Group (Havergal 2015). This slide in admittance into top unis becomes reflective of the political sphere, an evermore exclusive to those of a high SES and further fuel diplomatic democracy; whereby politicians turn out to be the most educated from the best universities and those who vote are the most educated and wealthy. Consequently, you have a large demographic that feels isolated and left out of politics.
Oh the irony of Theresa May. Having declared to fight the ‘burning injustices’ in British society and to prioritise the working class who were ‘just about managing’ a year prior to the 2017 General Election (George 2018), enter the mismanagement of Grenfell. In the face (or across the street) of Grenfell, lay the upper social class whereby in some parts of the borough, average income can ‘drop ten times as you cross the street’ (Guardian 2017). If any good came from this tragic circumstance is the finger being directed at the Tory government. A web of social inequalities continues to unravel which ultimately leading the 18-34 low SES voicing their opinions on social media, showing images of the tragic event two years removed and reminding politicians that they have a voice and will continue to preach the social injustice they experience.
They use the people when they want to rise, as we treat a spirited horse when we want to mount him; – for a time we pat the animal upon the neck, and speak him softly; but once in the saddle, then come the whip and spur. – Christian Nestell Bovee – New York Writer
Fig.3. YouGov (2017) poll on what Brits think of the social classes. Working class have the nicest people.
For what the data tells us, it is pretty laughable what is exacted in society. Although the working class contribute most to society they are also overwhelmingly treated the worst by government. One might think “well why don’t they do something about it?” Reality is, once you have been politically repressed for a sustained period, disillusion is inevitable. A quick dive into recent history shows this as 18-34 low SES group saw an encouraging voter turnout of 57% during the 2016 Referendum (6% increase from the 2015 GE) ultimately suffer a 4% fall for the 2017 (Ipsos Mori 2017).
They use the people when they want to rise, as we treat a spirited horse when we want to mount him – for a time we pat the animal upon the neck, and speak him softly; but once in the saddle, then come the whip and spur. – Christian Nestell Bovee.
In the face of Bovee’s damning statement, the mistreatment of the government will not resign our fate. In fact, the voiceless will become the ‘voiceful‘.
Bibliography
George, M (2018) Call for debates to be compulsory for all secondary pupils. Available at: https://www.tes.com/news/call-debates-be-compulsory-all-secondary-pupils
Grenfell Speaks (2018) On the ground at Grenfell. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3S_5ttJAOwHavergal, C (2015) Russell Group access: poorest fall further behind. Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/russell-group-access-poorest-fall-further-behind (Accessed 05/03/2019)
Ipsos Mori (2017) How Britain Voted in the 2017 Election. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/how-britain-voted-2017-election
The Guardian (2017) Grenfell Tower MP highlights huge social divisions in London. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/nov/13/grenfell-tower-mp-highlights-huge-social-divisions-in-london (Accessed 05/03/2019)
Notable Quotes (2006) Christian Nestell Bovee Quotes VI. Available at: http://notable-quotes.com/b/bovee_christian_nestell_vi.html
YouGov (2017) What do Brits think of social classes? Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2017/09/26/what-do-brits-think-social-classes
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