Most people following British politics would probably know by now that Labour leader Keir Starmer’s father was a toolmaker. He has talked many times about his working-class background and the way it informs his politics.
Starmer is not alone. Politicians from the other side of the political spectrum have also ramped up the rhetoric around their “blue collar” credentials in recent years. Rishi Sunak clearly recognised the need to make his own attempt when asked in a TV interview if he’s ever had to “go without” anything and responded that he didn’t have Sky TV as a child. Starmer’s own version of this story is that his family’s phone was cut off in his youth.
It’s easy to see why the two party leaders are engaging in this hardship competition. The political alienation of working-class voters over recent decades stems at least in part from a lack of representation. There are a decreasing number of working-class politicians they can relate to in parliament and it makes sense for politicians to fill this void however they can, including by highlighting the “working-class” elements of their biography at every opportunity.
