Nor would most people use the phrases that pollsters and spin doctors dreamt up in previous times. Even an outright “Essex man” would hardly want to be defined by his ownership of a mid-priced Ford car. The market research which defined “Worcester Woman” was derived from a West Midlands female sample of 40, none of whom resided in Worcester. But overwhelming proportions of us define ourselves as “middle”, and most identify with “squeezed”. A recent YouGov poll found 69 per cent of people agreeing with the statement: “I’m finding it tougher to get by than for many years.” Indeed, half of those with an income of more than £50,000 fall into this group. But even with a tight definition, restricting “middle” to a household income of between £20,000 and £50,000, more than a third of the population fall into Miliband’s category. Compare that to “Mondeo Man”. If Miliband can now portray himself as the dull but dogged champion of this large group, perhaps he could still make inroads at the next election. After all, 15 years ago in Australia, a similar group responded to John Howard’s clarion call to “the battlers”.