The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word PROLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
R
O
L
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "member of the working class" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case member of the working class = prole.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PROLE mean?
PROLE noun- A member of the proletariat; a proletarian
- A pleb (ordinary person).