In modern Britain the working class has become an object of fear and ridicule. In this
acclaimed investigation Owen Jones explores how the working class has gone from salt of the
earth to scum of the earth. Exposing the ignorance and prejudice at the heart of the chav
caricature he portrays a far more complex reality. The chav stereotype he argues is used by
governments as a convenient fig leaf to avoid genuine engagement with social and economic
problems and to justify widening inequality. This new edition includes a new chapter
reflecting on the overwhelming response to the book and the situation in Britain today.
