Fascinating article. I've noticed a fair amount of this while listening to certain UK music. Damon Albarn of Blur, a product of the UK public school system, has been lambasted in the UK press for his purposeful down-speaking (did I just coin a word?). There's currently a little Mancunian hipster named Mike Skinner whose debut album is chock full of "Mockney" pronunciation. Seems as if the trend has gone way beyond the Thames basin. Another interesting trend is the borrowing of Scots slang by hip Londoners after the rise in popularity of Irvine Welsh's novels.

Not much different from suburban wannabees from Iowa using urban street slang, innit? or should I say a'ight?