Steven Barrett is a commercial barrister who grew up in Birkenhead, the son of an electrician. “It sounds ridiculous to my upper-middle-class friends but I always have Kellogg’s cereal and Fairy Liquid in this house, because growing up, those were two things we could not afford,” he said.
Barrett, who mentors young people for the SMF and chairs the legal social mobility charity BVL, said he believed he would have earned more if he came from a different background, and felt success relied on changing his accent and appearance. “I tell my mentees I’ve been ‘posh washed’,” he said. “I became posh performatively. There are these endless controlling rules which seem to be there to expose the person who is being performatively posh but isn’t genuine – there’s a cat-and-mouse game where you’re constantly worrying you’re going to be exposed.”
As someone or other explained – Orwell? – about eating asparagus. They could be shooting it at each other with miniature cannons. The point is not to find the best way of eating asparagus, it’s to have a way that they know about and you don’t. It is, specifically, to have a marker of U and non-U.
But then any and every sector, section and slice of every society ever does exactly the same thing. Because that’s how sector, section and slice are determined by those observing.
“always have Kellogg’s cereal and Fairy Liquid in this house, ”
I put milk on my cereal.
/applause for Ottokring, who wins this thread!
”there’s a cat-and-mouse game where you’re constantly worrying you’re going to be exposed.”
Wypipo expressing an opinion, even if slavishly subservient, on matters racial (i.e. everything), will inevitably be turned upon by those they seek to appease.
…says a fucking barrister! Get a proper job you dopey prat.
Tom Sowell has made the argument that the century that Scotland got rich was the period shortly after they learned English. Speaking more like the people with more money gets you more opportunities.
the son of an electrician. “It sounds ridiculous to my upper-middle-class friends but I always have Kellogg’s cereal and Fairy Liquid in this house, because growing up, those were two things we could not afford,” he said.
What am I missing, because being a sparky is a good job that’s always in demand?
Timing, obvs, but you’d probably earn more money becoming an electrician in 2023 than you would going into the legal profession (unless your Dad is already a partner somewhere).
Anyway.
Bongo – Tom Sowell has made the argument that the century that Scotland got rich was the period shortly after they learned English.
This is an unusual argument, because most of Scotland has been speaking a form of English for most of the past millennium. It was the Industrial Revolution wot done it, surely, tho being connected to a much larger market obviously created opportunities for Scots that didn’t exist when the English and Scottish parliaments were forbidding each other from investing in colonial ventures.
Contrast with Ireland.
AA Gill made an excellent observation about the difference between manners and etiquette – manners are about making people feel welcome, etiquette is about excluding those who aren’t in the know.
I remember once being asked in an English social setting “where are you from?”
I had no idea what was meant. Did he mean “where do you work?”, “where did you work before you moved hereabouts?”, “where did you live before you moved here?”, “where did you grow up?”, “where did you go to university?”, even “what did your father do for a living?” …
Anyway Steven Barrett has a chip on his shoulder, see conspiracies all around him, and has a faulty impression of his childhood. Or maybe his Ma bought own-brand cornflakes and detergents. In which case she’d more sense than he has.
I proffer him my usual advice: “Get off your fucking knees.”
P.S. After a series of business meetings in London another participant said to my brother “Few Etonians retain a Scottish accent”. As a general statement it’s doubtless true but my brother felt obliged to ask “Why do you think I’m an Etonian?” The answer, it transpired, was his golf club tie. If your choice of tie lets you accidentally pass yourself off as an Etonian I find it hard to think the barriers are sturdy. True he’s a clever, articulate bugger; true he knows how to eat peas and sparrow grass, but really …
Man is part of a tribe. Man discovers other people are in other tribes. Man discovers people in other tribe prefer their own members over members of his other tribe. Man is upset about something.
Bit like Mandelson and Mushy Peas vs Guacamole
I thought the mark of a true gent was one who was capable of fitting into any social surroundings seamlessly? Or rather if you have to do certain things and use certain words to prove you’re ‘posh’ then you most certainly aren’t?
@Jim… I think that the mark of a “true gent” was beautifully described by P G Woodhouse as “a man who can play the banjo… but doesn’t.”.
Of course they do it the other way around too… eg everyone at university claiming to be working class, Rachel Dolezal, etc
In the same vein I was told the mark of a Scottish gentleman is that he can play the bagpipes, but doesn’t
“…I always have Kellogg’s cereal and Fairy Liquid in this house, because growing up, those were two things we could not afford.”
When I read that my first thought was, what seriously? I then had a period of introspection while I thought about whether I could be guilty of anything similar myself. Was there anything that I, as an adult, indulged in specifically because I couldn’t have it growing up? Nope, can’t think of anything.
Stonyground
Class A drugs ?
Stonyground
Sex?
Steve,
“What am I missing, because being a sparky is a good job that’s always in demand?
Timing, obvs, but you’d probably earn more money becoming an electrician in 2023 than you would going into the legal profession (unless your Dad is already a partner somewhere).”
Electrician was never *that* poor. It pays better now, but it would have got you a 3 bed terrace in the 70s.
But my parents were loaded and we had Sainsbury’s own ketchup and lemonade. There used to be a thing about this, that the poor bought brands because they couldn’t afford bigger luxuries like cars, so bought Fairy.
We buy almost nothing that’s a *brand* now. At least back in the 80s there were some things where the name meant something in terms of intrinsic quality. It’s hard to think of much where there’s not an own brand alternative that’s just as good.
I once bought my late missus some own brand blackcurrant cordial instead of Ribena. She nearly hit me with the bottle, I couldnt tell the difference.
Jim
That is a slight mistranslation. The mark of a true gent is that he makes everyone, from the Pope to the toilet cleaner, feel “at home”.
Steven Barrett appears to be more insecure as an adult than he was as a child, poor fellow.
‘Accent and appearance’ are indeed mutable. So we agree not the same as discrimination on immutable grounds e.g intelligence (still ok presumably) or skin tone. So i’d hope his charity takes their beneficiaries aside and advises them to get rid of/eschew the ear spacers, face studs, neck tattoos, a few elocution exercises, and and here’s where to get a decent second hand wig. If so good luck to it. If they campaign to make all these things acceptable then eff that eff them.
BTW – i think they do teach elocution in Bar school/Whatever its called. – at least its very very common for Barristers (like voice over artists and broadcasters and a million other professions) to have a work voice distinct from their home one.