Corbyn / BBC declare social class of employees?

When quoting directly from letters in today's Daily Telegraph, MawBroon, wouldn't it be courteous to acknowledge your sources, namely Mark Calvin of Dolgellau and Sandra Jones of Old Cleeve?

What does “working class” even mean today
I'm retired - am I no longer 'working class'?

Anyway, John Prescott said that we are all middle class now, so what is Jeremy talking about?

Maybe what Jeremy Corbyn want to know is what class were the parents of BBC employees. I understand that his parents were comfortably off. Does that mean he should or should not be able to work there?
varian - I assume so too. Does that mean those being interviewed by the BBC eg for Newsnight, would need to fill in a questionnaire too - or would they have to have the correct number of interviewees each day to keep the balance between socially privileged or not in proportion with the rest of the population?

There would be lots of paperwork involved.

luzdoh
They would be among our cleverest graduates, even in the infants' class.
Interesting concept. However, some of the very best 'infant' teachers I knew did not even have a degree - they completed a Teaching Certificate and were excellent teachers.
I have another friend who got a low degree (due to ill health) but became one of the best senior schools teachers my DC came across.

Some of the cleverest people are not able to communicate their subject well and cannot understand when others do not instantly understand.

So a maths teacher and an engineer are a "privileged" back ground now are they?
I am amused at the 'spin' you attempt to put on JC's background trisher. Nowadays no, a maths teacher and an engineer may not be considered 'privileged' but you appear to have disregarded the fact that Mrs Corbyn Snr came from a wealthy background and they were what the rest of us of that era would have considered 'priviliged'. Very few women in the 1930s went to university.

Mrs Corbyn Snr taught chemistry not maths. I know that for a fact, despite what the msm says.

As for Jeremy himself, no his 'A' results were not sufficient to get him into university. He gained a place at a polytechnic but did not complete the course; he went into the trade union movement instead.

The country is in turmoil over Brexit gilly, he talks about class and first on his list is the Beeb , all the usual which stirs up young activists

Heaven forbid Annie a frightening prospect.

Corbyn is sure he will win the next election, his government will want a state run everything, after today’s press coverage of another of his speeches he will certainly want to control the press. Big Brother awaits us.

www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/labour-party/jeremy-corbyn/news/97768/jeremy-corbyn-accused-hypocrisy-over
Just some thoughts.....
Presumably in this brave new world anybody who used to live in a seven-bedroom manor house in rural Shropshire and was privileged enough to attend the local grammar school would be ruled out of consideration for any high office?
Wasn’t Mr Corbyn’s Director of Communications and Strategy, Seumas Milne, the son of a former director general of the BBC educated at Winchester and Balliol?
If he got his job based on merit, why should others from a similar background not be able to do the same?
Why should an individual be judged for the choices made by his or her parents?
Even Diane Abbott, who would no doubt consider herself to be working class, made the choice to send her son to a private school. Were he to work for the BBC, would he be disadvantaged by the sacrifices made by his mother?

So are you claiming this is “fake news” sluttygran?

Thank you for sharing that gilly

I think it unlikely in the extreme that Jeremy Corbyn would even think about anyone’s social class - it just wouldn’t occur to him.
There are a lot of spiteful smears going around now which don’t belong in the world of politics.

What does “working class” even mean today ? You have a full time or permanent job? What about the not quite working class? Or the less than working class ? Or the I have never worked class?

I attended a grammar school. I came from a large council estate and was like a fish out of water. I’m sure I would have fitted in and done much better at my local secondary modern. I wanted to work in some kind of social care . (Not encouraged for “one of our girls”) who mostly had things arranged for them for after school. My best friends father was very high up in the NUM, sorted. Another good friends father worked in BBC local radio, a few friends had family members in local government or the police . My dad worked in a factory and my mum was a shop assistant .

Possiby Corbyn left his college course because he thought he knew more , big difference

The trouble is Monica that as you probably know, the traditional working class is shrinking.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2016/feb/26/uk-more-middle-class-than-working-class-2000-data
So there is an increasingly small pool of candidates for the Labour leadership, if a solid, accredited ‘working class’ background is indeed a criterion for selection.
The same applies to any organisation aiming to employ people on the basis of their socio-economic background.

What we all want is equality for all, in education, healthcare and job opportunities.

I think all of us posting on this thread know that is an utopian dream, and that no political party can deliver that in our lifetime.

Our children and grandchildren can only hope that one day our vision will become reality.

Shouldn't a solid accredited 'working class' background be essential for anyone wanting to lead the Labour Party?

Since 1935 only 2 (Callaghan, Kinnock) of the Labour Party's 11 leaders have come from the working class. The rest have all been solidly middle class, including, of course Jeremy Corbyn.

Maybe what Jeremy Corbyn want to know is what class were the parents of BBC employees. I understand that his parents were comfortably off. Does that mean he should or should not be able to work there?

I am wondering where children stand whose parents, having taken advantage of state education in the 60’s and who rose to the middle classes by virtue of their university degree and subsequent professional employment, then sent their offspring down the road to the local comprehensive.

Are such offspring, because of their privileged parents, to be discriminated against in higher education or employment opportunities, or are they regarded as more deserving because they have had a state education?

Who would be missed first, the director general, or the person who cleans the toilets?

varian I would think it’s probably the recruitment of trainees where Corbyn thinks social class is an important issue.

He didn’t fail to get into university he failed to get grades which could have got him into university if he wanted to go to university , even I had better grades than he did and I am not the brightest coin in the mint

Apparently your occupation is the main determinant of social class, so if you work for the BBC and you are an office cleaner, you are working class, if you are a programme producer or a presenter you are middle class and the Director General is probably upper middle class.

So what?

In which case he couldn't have 'failed' to get in could he? If you don't try you can't fail.