A state-school-educated Labour MP from the north of England has told how he toned down his broad Yorkshire accent, was mocked by tutors at Oxford University and offered cups of gravy by other students.
Luke Charters, who had a successful career at the Bank of England before entering Parliament in 2024 as MP for York Outer, said he had been forced to water down his accent at Mansfield College because of the mockery it attracted.
He told GB News' Chopper's Political Podcast: "I am a state school kid and I'm proud I went to Oxford.
"I worked really well and hard to get there.
"But when I got there, I found that there was may be one or two tutors older in mindset that mocked me for how I spoke.
"And you can tell if you're listening in, I've got quite a broad northern accent, and I'm proud of it.
"But do you want to know something?
"I've never really admitted this before... I watered it down when I was at uni.
"I watered it down when I was in the City."
Mr Charters said some of the "mockery and banter" related to gravy.
Luke Charters had a successful career at the Bank of England
|GB NEWS
He said: "It's what's in that?
"What's in that mug?
"Is it a mug of gravy, or is it a mug of tea?
"So it's just some silly tittle tattle."
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Luke Charters attended Oxford University
| PAMr Charters said he was told to water down his strong Yorkshire accent if he wanted to get a good graduate job.
He added: "It would be things like 'if you ever want to do a good interview and get a graduate job, you might want to turn down your accent.
"You want to go and do a master's and you're going to be interviewed, turn it down.
"They're not going to understand you."
Mr Charters paid tribute to GB News for featuring people with accents from across the UK.
"We've got so many regional accents in Britain haven’t we?
"And I think you do a good job on GB News of actually getting people on that sound a bit different.
"Not just RP (received pronunciation)."
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