Poppagator's post is very interesting. I would suggest that for UK purposes the separation of classes into the roletariat and the bourgeoisie is insufficient - and he puts his finger on the button.

THe UK has a long- standing history of the aristocracy ruling the peasantry, and teh artisan came late in the day to the equation.

Now there is still an aristocracy, there is still a peasantry although it is scarce, there is an underclass a working class and a middle class as well. Some of the divisions are by wealth and some by behaviour and speech habits.

In the USA, as I understand it, it's very simple, it's a plutocracy.