Although the Tories need a huge psephological swing to win, they are making gains in the parts of the country and bits of the population (such as the lower-middle and skilled working classes) that they need to conquer.In a way, Mr Cameron's background has helped.
It gave direct expression to the rising aspirations for betterment amongst the skilled working classes, particularly in Southern England, and secured their allegiance to a conservative vision of a property owning democracy.
The skilled working class ("C2s") are least likely to pay and most likely to find an alternative free news site.
They are from the rich and varied lands around the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains, where in ancient times diverse cultures had in common the worship of ancestors, the skilled working of clay, and trade connections.
But he had given the skilled working class ("angels in marble") the vote in 1867, and he would legislate for public health, housing and factory reforms – themes of his 1872 speeches – when he finally won a Commons majority, in 1874-80, when he was already 70.
In 1997, half of the skilled working class (designated "C2") voted Labour, down to just 30percentt in 2015.
Paul Clemens (Lives, Aug. 28) can refer to his "white-trash roots," but I doubt that, say, his father, who sounds like a skilled, hard-working man, would like to be called that.
However, the tech transfer office plays a big role; a skilled, hard-working expert can be a huge advantage.
Leading clubs, notably those in Lancashire, started charging admission to spectators as early as the 1870s and so, despite the FA's amateurism rule, were in a position to pay illicit wages to attract highly skilled working-class players, many of them hailing from Scotland.
