'From the very first days of this clueless government, Rayner was held up as a kind of poster girl for the working classes' - Your Letters: September 10
PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A line up of children ready for school, pictured pre-war, probably between 1934 and 1935 The children are all pupils of Onibury School, a proud village school that continues to function today, known as Onny CofE Primary and part of the St Michael’s Federation.
RAYNER EPISODE NOT A CLASS ACT
Former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner has, from the very first days of this clueless government, been held up as a kind of poster girl for the working classes.
In many ways the language used by her own party has been patronising in the extreme to both her and the class she is supposed to represent. Intending to be pats on the back, Starmer has merely succeeded, by constantly showering Rayner with platitudes about the success she has had ‘despite her background’, in reinforcing the idea of the working classes as useless non-aspirational non-achievers – ie Rayner is an exception to the rule.
As for Rayner herself, she has succeeded, and in spades, of reinforcing the idea of the social climber as someone who rushes straight to sink their snouts into the trough!
Alan Jones, West Midlands
FLAG FLYING IS JUST BELITTLING
Do we really want all these Union Flags and flags of England flying from halfway up lampposts around the towns and villages in Shropshire? I realise the idea is to display feelings of patriotism but personally I think it does just the opposite. It belittles the national emblem. Our national flag is currently flown on an occasional basis such as royal birthdays and special days such as St George’s Day therefore we see it now and again and therefore it makes an impression on most people, but to see them permanently flying unceremoniously on lampposts and telegraph poles belittles something that is inherently important to most of us.
