Tough of class

Paul Gilfillan’s article about voting preferences and social class (Friends of The Scotsman, 26 June) was fascinating.

The only problem is, ­nowhere does he define his parameters, ie what he means by “middle class”, or “working class”, for that matter.

I am confused because, for example, I have read that Kate Middleton’s father, a millionaire, is “middle class”; also, that “middle class” parents pay fees from £7,000 to £10,000 a year to send their children to Fettes College.

On the other hand, it is clear that some people are labelled “middle class” simply because of the way they speak.

Some clarification would be helpful to enable readers to fully appreciate the good academic’s argument, otherwise it is liable to simply play to one’s prejudices, which in the febrile atmosphere of the independence debate we could well do without.

Jane Ann Liston

St Andrews