THERESA May has refused to describe herself as middle class as she again adopted a “red Tory” mantle and made a grab for votes in a Labour heartland.

 

On the campaign trail in Mansfield on the outskirts of Nottingham, the Prime Minister insisted what mattered was her fight for ordinary working families; earlier this week, she proposed an energy price cap, similar to a policy proposed by former Labour leader Ed Miliband, which was described at the time by David Cameron as “Marxist”.

 

Coincidentally, it also emerged that Lord Glasman, an advisor to Mr Miliband and architect of “Blue Labour,” Labour’s attempt to reconnect with working class voters post Blair, had a meeting in Downing Street with Nick Timothy, a key aide to Mrs May, who is drawing up the Tory manifesto.

 

After Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, insisted he was the only party leader with working class roots, Mrs May was asked if she regarded herself as middle class or upper class.

 

The vicar’s daughter, who is married to a City financier, refused to be drawn on her social status, saying: “I'll tell you what I am, I'm somebody who is here to work for ordinary working families.

 

"I want to make sure that it doesn't matter what background you come from, it's up to you, your talents and your hard work as to how far you go in life. And we want to create a better future for everyone across the country."

 

On the campaign trail, Mrs May has been speaking at events, located in Labour marginals as she seeks to win over traditional Labour voters, who might be swithering about supporting Jeremy Corbyn.

 

Insisting the party could win in former mining towns, the PM said: "This isn't about who people have voted for before, it's about who they believe will be able to conduct the strongest negotiations and get the best possible deal for Britain from Europe because that matters to people in Mansfield, across Nottinghamshire and across the whole of the Midlands."

 

Offering again the presidential option, she added: "This is about a very clear choice. There's only one person, one of two people, who is going to be Prime Minister on June 9: me or Jeremy Corbyn. The question is which one of us do people want to see leading this country."