Almost half of new Cabinet studied at Oxford or Cambridge
Almost half of Boris Johnson’s new Cabinet went to Oxford or Cambridge universities and 60% attended a private school, a social mobility charity has said.
The percentage privately educated is down slightly on the Prime Minister’s previous cabinets, data from the Sutton Trust suggested.
The figure was 64% in his first Cabinet in 2019, and 65% in a 2020 reshuffle, the charity said.
🔄RESHUFFLE UPDATE🔄
📚 60% of the new Cabinet post reshuffle attended a private school, compared to ~7% of the UK population.
🎓27% attended both an independent school and Oxbridge pic.twitter.com/jDEbhk0GPa
— The Sutton Trust (@suttontrust) September 15, 2021
In its analysis of the educational background of the new Cabinet announced on Wednesday, the trust said the 2021 percentage for private education compares to 29% when it comes to all MPs in the House of Commons.
The Sutton Trust said there has been a slight increase in the proportion of the new Cabinet educated at comprehensives, from 27% last year to a third now.
While 46% of those in the latest Cabinet studied at Oxford or Cambridge, the figure compares with 27% of all Conservative MPs, 18% of Labour MPs and 24% of all MPs.
New Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Housing Secretary Michael Gove and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all attended Oxford University.
The trust said just over a quarter of Cabinet ministers attended both independent schools and Oxbridge.
The trust said its analysis includes 30 ministers and assumes Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg and Attorney General Suella Braverman will attend Cabinet.