30 July 2025, 10:57

By Richard Merrin

While Westminster fixates on bankers in the City and venture capitalists in Shoreditch, a far more vital part of the British economy is being overlooked.

The plumbers, electricians, builders, and delivery drivers who start their days before dawn, keep the country ticking over, and do it all from behind the wheel of a white van.

These are the men and women who fix our boilers, keep our homes standing, and ensure everything from parcels to pints arrives on time. They don’t get IPOs, share options or press coverage.

What they get is traffic fines, fuel bills, and a thousand forms of silent disdain – none more insidious than the lazy ‘white van man’ stereotype.

This caricature has long outlived its sell-by date. The media shorthand still too often equates “white van” with small-mindedness or aggression. It’s not just........

© LBC