A double standard

Whenever anyone mentions the working class past (pre-Thatcher, pre-deindustrialisation) in any kind of positive light (sense of community, lack of atomisation), there's a rush to dismiss this as romanticised "sentimentality". "Nostalgia". Two great sins of the middle class liberal-left. They will point out how terrible life actually was for working class people, awful food, awful conditions, awful drudgery, RICKETS.

The same people will dismiss and downplay these terrible conditions of the English working class whenever colonialism comes up. How DARE you suggest you had it bad? You were spoiled! You and your ancestors benefitted from colonial loot so don't you dare play victim!

Bigotry in the Guardian comments

I'm starting to collect examples of class bigotry from the so-called left, to have a record. The Guardian is rife with this BTL. This example did receive some pushback, thankfully, and wasn't too highly upvoted although I note the blaming of the working class for colonialism, and specifying the English working class (not Scotland or Wales which certainly face similar issues in deindustrialised areas), arguments that would cause outrage if applied to any other deprived group.