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| MP Jess Phillips praises Brummie accent | MP Jess Phillips praises Brummie accent |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| MP Jess Phillips said her father had warned her as a child that she would not be taken seriously | MP Jess Phillips said her father had warned her as a child that she would not be taken seriously |
| A Birmingham MP's has said her accent has been her "greatest gift", after a survey found almost half of UK workers had been mocked for theirs. | A Birmingham MP's has said her accent has been her "greatest gift", after a survey found almost half of UK workers had been mocked for theirs. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today show, Yardley MP Jess Phillips hailed her Brummie accent and encouraged others to be proud of theirs. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today show, Yardley MP Jess Phillips hailed her Brummie accent and encouraged others to be proud of theirs. |
| She was joined by broadcaster Adrian Chiles, who hails from Quinton, who said his accent was an "advantage". | She was joined by broadcaster Adrian Chiles, who hails from Quinton, who said his accent was an "advantage". |
| The survey forms part of the Accent Bias in Britain project. | The survey forms part of the Accent Bias in Britain project. |
| The research was carried out by Professor Devyani Sharma from Queen Mary University London and funded by Sutton Trust. | The research was carried out by Professor Devyani Sharma from Queen Mary University London and funded by Sutton Trust. |
| It revealed 46% of workers had faced jibes about their accents, while those with northern English or Midlands accents were more likely to worry about the way they spoke. | It revealed 46% of workers had faced jibes about their accents, while those with northern English or Midlands accents were more likely to worry about the way they spoke. |
| An entrenched "hierarchy of accent" caused social anxiety throughout some people's lives, the report concluded. | An entrenched "hierarchy of accent" caused social anxiety throughout some people's lives, the report concluded. |
| Broadcaster and presenter Adrian Chiles says he used to be underestimated because of his Brummie accent | Broadcaster and presenter Adrian Chiles says he used to be underestimated because of his Brummie accent |
| "When I was a kid, my dad warned us we wouldn't be taken seriously because my vowel sounds were very Brummie," Ms Phillips said. | |
| "You still get this assumption that we go down the mines or I work in a car factory because of the way I sound." | "You still get this assumption that we go down the mines or I work in a car factory because of the way I sound." |
| 'Be yourself' | 'Be yourself' |
| She said one of her main roles as an MP was to communicate with regular people, adding that her accent meant they often felt she understood their situations. | She said one of her main roles as an MP was to communicate with regular people, adding that her accent meant they often felt she understood their situations. |
| Mr Chiles meanwhile urged people to "be yourself". | Mr Chiles meanwhile urged people to "be yourself". |
| While acknowledging he might have subconsciously moderated his Brummie vowels over the years to make them more "acceptable", he said speaking "clearly" was far more important than people's accents. | While acknowledging he might have subconsciously moderated his Brummie vowels over the years to make them more "acceptable", he said speaking "clearly" was far more important than people's accents. |
| "I have found it to my advantage in life... people always underestimated me. They hear a Brummie accent and they think you're thick," he said. | "I have found it to my advantage in life... people always underestimated me. They hear a Brummie accent and they think you're thick," he said. |
| "People's expectations were always very low. | "People's expectations were always very low. |
| Students Olivia Fellows and Joe Wood said they felt they had been judged because of their accents | |
| "It meant I had to do relatively little to impress them. I only had to string together three coherent sentences and people looked at me as if I was Stephen Hawking." | "It meant I had to do relatively little to impress them. I only had to string together three coherent sentences and people looked at me as if I was Stephen Hawking." |
| Two language students at Wolverhampton University in the Black Country said they felt they had been judged because of their accents. | |
| "In professional settings, work, education, there's definitely that comparison of backgrounds, there's an internal bias that comes with it," said Olivia Fellows, who is studying English language and literature. | |
| "You can hear where people come from in terms of class as well as location, how you are defined by your accent. It does say a lot about who you are." | |
| 'Peaky Blinder' | |
| Joe Wood, an English and secondary education student, said he felt his accent may have affected his prospects. | |
| "Three years ago before I went to university I did army officers selection board," he said. | |
| "I was joined by a lot of people who were private school educated, grammar school educated and had what you'd call RP (received pronunciation). | |
| "I felt, not marginalised, but I didn't feel I belonged in that kind of sphere due to my accent. | |
| "There was obviously a few people there that saw my accent was there and actually called me a Peaky Blinder - so there was a difference there." | |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk |