The above is the 'posh test' that was in the Daily Mail (not a regular read of mine) on Friday. I'm pleased to say that I came out as resolutely not posh from the quiz but the questions do seem a bit daft.
Take question 4 - I like horse racing. Does that really equal posh. Does that make the guys I speak to in my local bookies posh as well?
Or question 6 - I tell people that I went to a North Eastern comprehensive school. I know that isn't what they mean and I know that some people might suggest that equates to a 'chip on shoulder' problem.
Question 8 - what if you say tea, rather than dinner or supper. If I say 'dinner' to my family in the North East I probably wouldn't be forgiven for a while. Does calling it tea earn you minus points on the 'poshometer'?
All in all, the very light hearted quiz does also incorporate the very important issue of social class. Despite people saying that class doesn't matter, and people such as Harriet Harman clearly thinking that gender and other issues matter more than class, it is clear that social class matters more than it has done for some time.
Sadly, in all too many cases, life chances are determined by the accident of birth. Witness the dominance of public schools over Parliament, the professions and the universities. The great challenge for politicians over the coming years is to break down the barriers facing people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and ensure that life chances are decided based on merit rather than the accident of birth.
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