Rishi Sunak attended an independent school as did most of his cabinet. They are a staggering nearly nine times more likely to have gone to an independent school than the general population, according to analysis by the Sutton Trust published today. 61% were educated at fee-paying schools, while 23% went to a comprehensive and 13% attended a grammar school.
This proportion of alumni of independent schools is lower than Liz Truss’s cabinet (61% versus 68%), but similar to Boris Johnson’s first cabinet (64%). It is more than twice that of Theresa May’s 2016 cabinet (30%), and more than Cameron’s 2015 cabinet (50%).
The proportion of cabinet ministers educated at comprehensive schools is similar to Liz Truss’s cabinet at 23% vs Truss’s 19%, but lower than Boris Johnson’s first cabinet (27%). A number of those heading up key departments – including the Chancellor, the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary – are educated at independent schools.
