Mo

I speak with an RP accent and have been judged from an early age because of this. Throughout my childhood, I would be ostracised and excluded by other children who labelled me ‘stuck up’ and ‘snobby’ simply because of my accent. For them, the fact that my family was living in social housing and on benefits was less relevant than the way I spoke.

Accent based prejudice is not all one way. While having an RP accent may have some advantages, it can also lead to social isolation and even aggression from people who believe the stereotypes. As a result, I am always cautious about speaking to people if I don’t know how they might react to my accent.