Classism is pervasive in the UK. Many people will argue that it no longer exists however they are mistaken ( and most notably not on the lower rungs of the class hierarchy ). The view from the working class looking up is very different than if you are born into a middle/upper class family.
It’s not all about wealth either. Not having Received Pronunciation (I.e. a non southern accent ). The manner in which you speak, dress, behave are all class signals that are picked up on.
From a career perspective it is apparent that certain doors are closed (or at least a lot more difficult to open ) because of class. I’ve had recruiters blatantly tell me that I didn’t go to the ‘correct’ university (Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial) so there was not much point in applying as I wouldn’t get through an initial HR screening process.
I think it's probably Estuary English [1] now rather than RP. I'd agree there are lots of class signals that people pick on. Accent is probably high up the list.
Yes, it feels to me like it has more of an affect than many people realize. It's become more obvious to me after leaving the UK and seeing how other societies operate.
It’s not all about wealth either. Not having Received Pronunciation (I.e. a non southern accent ). The manner in which you speak, dress, behave are all class signals that are picked up on.
From a career perspective it is apparent that certain doors are closed (or at least a lot more difficult to open ) because of class. I’ve had recruiters blatantly tell me that I didn’t go to the ‘correct’ university (Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial) so there was not much point in applying as I wouldn’t get through an initial HR screening process.