For whom the bell tolls? It’s us again the working class

by Lisa Mckenzie, Research Fellow in the LSE Sociology Department Phew… what a relief the House of Lords have recently stepped in and saved us from George Osborne’s attack upon those hard working families that all political parties like to tell us are out there. Not shirkers but the strivers – those who are working hard for their families. If we were to play Party Political Bingo (as I often do) ‘hard working families’ is dobbed, and ‘doing the right thing’ is double dobbed. It was the outcry from MPs on all sides of the House, charities, and then the House of Lords (‘the other place’ which is not usually known for its support of British working class people) that forced the Chancellor of the Exchequer to undertake an incredible U turn and end his plans (for now) to take his austere axe on tax credits for those hard working families. After all, one nation conservatism is at the vanguard of the moral authority, ensuring those hard working families are rewarded for doing the right thing.