Class no longer main dividing line in UK politics, survey shows | Opinion polls

Age and education have displaced class as the main demographic dividing line in British politics, according to a leading study on trends in public views.

The British Social Attitudes survey, which has run annually since 1983, found that traditional class-based support for parties had diminished.

“The underpinnings of the system have disappeared, have been eroded. So class no longer equals vote. We now have multidimensional politics,” said Prof Sir John Curtice, a senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and a co-author of the report.

“Trust in government, trust in politicians, is at an all-time low. So you can see all these things going on is creating an environment that means it looks more difficult for the Conservatives and Labour to hang on.”