Is Britain a classless society?

But you don’t think given her intelligence a rehabilitation program would likely be more successful? There are cases where poorer class offenders get off or finish their sentence only to recommit crimes. The main questions asked when making a judgment are did they commit the crime? will they commit this or a similar crime again? And does this make them a threat to society?

I don’t think giving her another chance is the problem, I think not being fair with how they give chances is the problem.

I think you would struggle to find a society more obsessed with class than Britain.

I think it's really interesting when you talk to people from other countries who just don't really get the way our class system works. In many other countries (not all, of course), class is mostly about money and the material possessions you have, maybe the job you have and your education level come into it too. However, to the English especially, class pervades every aspect of your life- from the sports you watch and the way you spend your free time, to the language you use, the way you furnish your home, the things you value etc. etc.

Something I think a lot of people from outside the UK don't really get is that it's possible to be working class and really quite wealthy, and that it's actually quite difficult to change your class- usually it's a generational process. I think the other thing that people from outside the UK don't understand is that some people are proud to be working class, and wouldn't necessarily want to be seen as middle class, even if they have a relatively middle class lifestyle.

The class system and debate are interesting to follow. There are people afforded respect based solely on the class rank that they occupy. I watched a documentary about the aristocracy and landed gentry. One woman who was married into an aristocratic family had lamented that the class system deceives people into thinking that everyone is wealthy or rich.

The woman had said that prior to marrying into her husband’s family, they did not have a lot, just the stately home that had passed down from generation to generation in a Trust and they did not even live in it. She was the one (apparently) who began to lease it for weddings and tours before it generated income from the property.

Did not have a lot, apart from a huge asset? There's loads of people in this country who won't inherit anything from their parents, so my sympathy is somewhat limited.

Some people dont want to sell the only asset that has been passed through generations.

That's fine, and I do understand that PoV, but relative to the rest of the population, they are still very lucky.

I'm afraid I find people who live in "genteel poverty" in huge houses and complain about it very annoying.