It seems that all the prominent lefties, from notable Guardian columnists to politicians, are middle-class, public school educated and often Oxbridge educated.
I can barely think of any prominent lefties in the media and politics who are genuine working people. Where is the former checkout assistant now writing for the Guardian? Where is degree-less former cleaner in the Shadow Labour Cabinet? Even if these people do exist, they are few and far between.
With this in mind, can the British left honestly say it represents, or even understands, the working man or woman?
Is this also why UKIP are stealing a lot of the working class vote? In upmarket Islington it's a probably a major faux pas to talk negatively of immigration over brunch. However, in working class communities people are feeling the strain of immigration and, perhaps in a misguided way, feel that UKIP understands them.