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Its a sad state of affairs.
True dat! I wonder how much of that is the historical requirement of having to have attended one of the "right" schools.
That said, it's important to be able to speak eloquently in whatever accent you have. If you can't frame your ideas well people are left not knowing whether the problem is that your ideas are rubbish or that you just can't articulate them.
ffm
Did any of you guys watch Fiona Hill testify in the US impeachment enquiry?
She's from County Durham originally and has a thick as pig shit Northern accent. She spoke quite eloquently about how she feels that in the UK, people with a background like hers (coal mining family) and with a thick regional accent don't get the same opportunities that are on offer in the USA. Basically called out the UK establishment for being an accent snob.
I think she's probably right.
I used to know a chap who grew up in a deprived setting in Merseyside who eventually went on to own a bank. He had voice coaching lessons when he was in his 20s because he noticed that people in London didn't take him seriously in interviews. He reckoned the difference in treatment was immediate as soon as he started to lose the Scouse twang.
Its a sad state of affairs.