Former Boris Johnson advisor says he was called an ‘oik’ and a ‘bruiser’ because of his northern accent and shaved head
- Lee Cain said ‘class-based bias’ still exists at the heart of government
- Said he got the ‘distinct’ feeling officials thought he shouldn’t ‘overreach’ himself
- ‘I lost count of the times I was branded a ”bruiser”, ”thuggish” or even an ”oik” for the twin crimes of having a strong northern accent and shaved hair,’ he said
Boris Johnson’s former communications director has described how he was branded an ‘oik’ and a ‘bruiser’ because of his thick northern accent and shaved head.
Lee Cain, who was a senior adviser to the PM for four years, said ‘class-based bias’ still exists at the heart of government.
He said he got the ‘distinct’ feeling that senior officials thought he shouldn’t ‘overreach’ himself and should be content simply to be in the room.
‘My experiences in Westminster made it easy to see why young working-class women and men struggle to get ahead. Class-based bias still exists,’ he wrote in The Spectator.
‘I lost count of the times I was branded a ”bruiser”, ”thuggish” or even an ”oik” for the twin crimes of having a strong northern accent and shaved hair. Luckily I have a skin thicker than my accent…
Dominic Cummings (left) alongside former Director of Communications Lee Cain in 2019
‘If men and women with thick accents and poorer backgrounds are kept quietly away from the top roles, or undermined when they reach them, then political parties and business leaders will find themselves ever more baffled and out of touch with the people they seek to lead.’
Mr Cain, who left Downing Street last November at the same time as the Prime Minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings, stressed that Mr Johnson judged him on his abilities, rather than his background.
Mr Cain, who left Downing Street last November at the same time as the Prime Minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings, stressed that Mr Johnson judged him on his abilities, rather than his background
But he added: ‘When I first entered Downing Street I got the distinct feeling that some senior officials thought I should be content simply to be there.
‘The clear message was: you’ve come a long way, don’t overreach now.’
Mr Cain wrote that those in the capital often failed to understand that not everyone wanted to move to London or become a City trader.
Reflecting on the new ‘red wall’ working-class constituencies that the Tories are seeking to keep at the next election, he said Mr Johnson would have to focus on trying to improve their prospects.
He added that had more of those in Westminster been eligible for free school meals when they were children, the Marcus Rashford saga may not have happened.
The Government was forced to continue to provide free school meals over the summer holidays after the footballer’s intervention.