'Truly shocking' that the private-school educated and affluent middle class still run Britain

[Jesus Malverde]

Former Prime Minister criticises the dominance of private-school educated elite in “upper echelons” of British public life

The dominance of a private-school educated elite and well-heeled middle class in the “upper echelons” of public life in Britain is “truly shocking”, Sir John Major has said.

The former Conservative Prime Minister said he was appalled that “every single sphere of British influence” in society is dominated by men and women who went to private school or who are from the “affluent middle class”

More than half of the Cabinet, including David Cameron, the Prime Minister, George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, are thought to have gone to private school and are independently very wealthy.

In the speech to Tory party grassroots activists on Friday evening, Sir John - who went to a grammar school in south London and left with three O-Levels - said: “In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. To me from my background, I find that truly shocking.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10439303/Truly-shocking-that-the-private-school-educated-and-affluent-middle-class-still-run-Britain-says-Sir-John-Major.html

America is likewise dominated by politicians who attended Americas east coast elite schools. National politics have an north east coast bias.

In a country of 360 million, it seems like a statistical impossibility that fraternity brothers Bush and SOS Kerry would end up as opponents in a national election.

[bettyellen]

1. a friend was saying this is true of the arts/ theater scene as well. all these uppercrust actors

playing low lives. Ironic.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Actors from Eton:

Hugh Laurie
Dominic West
Damian Lewis
Benedict Cumberbatch

They seem particularly good at playing Americans.

[bettyellen]

4. yep, but he said it's gotten a lot of notice there that there re plenty of parts for working class

or poor Brits, but they roles always go to the "well bred" who fake the accents. Interesting.

[surrealAmerican]

3. If by "shocking" he means completely predictable ...

... and pretty much unchanged for hundreds of years, then sure, it's "shocking".

Gee, why wouldn't poor and less than well educated people be more competitive?

[oldhippie]

5. Well, it seems to work for Republicans ......

Gee, why wouldn't poor and less than well educated people be more competitive?

[malaise]

6. Very true but Major wanted to be loved by them just like Thatcher

Fugg him.