Sentence:  Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic [...].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. [...]  But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapists call "bargaining". A broad section of the political <WSD>class</WSD> now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (Q187588)  A social grouping, based on job, wealth, etc. In Britain, society is commonly split into three main classes; upper class, middle class and working class.