John Major Criticises Privately Educated People In Power Despite Picking A Cabinet Dominated By Them

John Major Criticises Privately Educated People In Power...
|
Open Image Modal
PA

Sir John Major has attacked the "truly shocking" dominance of the upper echelons of power in the UK by the privately educated and affluent middle class.

The former Conservative prime minister blamed this current private school dominance on the 1997-2010 Labour government which, he claimed, left a "Victorian divide between stagnation and aspiration".

But cast your mind back to 1995, when Sir John assembled his fifth cabinet, five years after arriving at Number 10 - plenty of time to address any issues of elitism - and something becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly.

According to an analysis by HuffPost UK, 23 people attended his fifth cabinet, of whom 16 were privately-educated and only seven were not. That's 70% under Sir John - a higher proportion than the current coalition cabinet, headed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg, which is 62% privately-educated.

So, to the full list...

Have A 'Shocking' Grip On Power...
William Waldegrave, Chief Secretary to the Treasury(01 of16)
Open Image Modal
Went to Eton College (credit:PA)
Roger Freeman, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster(02 of16)
Open Image Modal
Whitgift, an independent boarding school in Croydon.(Freeman is the chap stood behind John Major) (credit:PA)
Sir Patrick Mayhew, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland(03 of16)
Open Image Modal
Tonbridge, an independent boarding school in Kent. (credit:PA)
Alistair Goodlad (right), Chief Whip (Attending Cabinet)(04 of16)
Open Image Modal
Marlborough College, co-educational independent and boarding school (credit:PA)
Douglas Hogg, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food(05 of16)
Open Image Modal
Eton College (credit:PA)
Tony Newton, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons(06 of16)
Open Image Modal
A Quaker independent school (credit:PA)
Stephen Dorrell, Secretary of State for Health(07 of16)
Open Image Modal
Uppingham, a co-educational independent school (credit:PA)
Viscount Cranborne, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords(08 of16)
Open Image Modal
Another Eton attendee (credit:PA)
Lord Mackay, Lord Chancellor(09 of16)
Open Image Modal
George Heriot's School (a grammar but on a scholarship) (credit:PA)
John Gummer, Secretary of State for the Environment(10 of16)
Open Image Modal
King's School, Rochester, an independent (credit:PA)
Lord Ian Lang, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry(11 of16)
Open Image Modal
Rugby School, another independent (credit:PA)
Peter Lilley, Secretary of State for Social Security(12 of16)
Open Image Modal
Dulwich College, an independent public school (credit:PA)
Sir George Young, Secretary of State for Transport(13 of16)
Open Image Modal
Eton. Again. (credit:PA)
Michael Heseltine, Deputy Prime Minister(14 of16)
Open Image Modal
Shrewsbury School, another independent (credit:PA)
Malcolm Rifkind, Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office(15 of16)
Open Image Modal
George Watson's College, a co-educational independent day school (credit:PA)
Baroness Virginia Bottomley, Secretary of State for National Heritage(16 of16)
Open Image Modal
Putney High School, an independent girls school (credit:PA)

Then batting for the common man is this meagre group...

Had A 'Hard-Earned' Grip On Power...
Kenneth Clarke, Chancellor of the Exchequer(01 of07)
Open Image Modal
Nottingham High School, then a direct grant grammar school (part state funded, part fee-funded) (credit:PA)
William Hague, Secretary of State for Wales(02 of07)
Open Image Modal
Wath-upon-Dearne Comprehensive (credit:PA)
Gillian Shepherd, Secretary of State for Education & Employment(03 of07)
Open Image Modal
North Walsham High School for Girls, a grammar school (credit:PA)
Lord Brian Mawhinney , Minister without Portfolio and Conservative Party Chairman(04 of07)
Open Image Modal
Royal Belfast Academical Institution, a grammar school (credit:PA)
Michael Howard, Secretary of State for the Home Department(05 of07)
Open Image Modal
Llanelli Boys' Grammar School (credit:PA)
John Major, Prime Minister(06 of07)
Open Image Modal
Rutlish Grammar School (credit:PA)
Michael Portillo (07 of07)
Open Image Modal
Harrow County School, a grammar establishment (credit:PA)

Obviously, Sir John gets some serious credit for his his own state school background.

But wait, what's this?

He sent his own kid to private school? Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire? Say it ain't so, Sir John...

This has been changed slightly from an earlier version that stated Michael Portillo attended private school. This was incorrect.