“Commentators have been quick to seize on the information now online in the 1911 census to paint a picture of a vastly different England — but I’m not so sure. True, in terms of life expectancy and wealth distribution, 1911 does seem markedly different from 2009. Then, the top one per cent owned about 70 per cent of everything — now they own a mere 23 per cent. However, I suspect that if the figures were adjusted to account for the non-doms and wealth held by Brits abroad, while agricultural land was omitted, the percentages might be similar.”
To read the rest of Will’s Standard column, go here.
