How would you define ‘working people’? You’d think that ‘people who work’ would be a pretty safe bet. But Keir Starmer seems to have a different definition, telling LBC earlier this week that working people are ‘people who earn their living, rely on our services and don’t really have the ability to write a cheque when they get into trouble’. Is this a tacit admission that those who have managed to save could be a target for Labour when it wins power?
‘Working people’ is one of Starmer’s most repeated phrases; he’s made it his own. It is usually said in an appropriately reverent way, with the same head-slightly-bowed tone that vicars use while mentioning the Holy Ghost, or that people on television employ when referring to the Lionesses. It is the nearest the Labour leader gets to a catchphrase, so it’s useful that someone has tried to pin him down on what he actually means when he says it.
As a black hole absorbs all light, Starmer absorbs all interest
It’s interesting to note that ‘working people’ has at some fairly recent point replaced ‘hard-working families’ in the politicians’ lexicon.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in