Against a tie and a crest

Marcus points out that the heads of our political parties come from disproportionately from either public school or Scotland, and says this is a depressing commentary on English state education.
It's certainly remarkable that, AFAIK, only two of 23 Cabinet ministers - Beckett and Miliband - have attended state school and have post-graduate degrees.
I agree this is depressing. But not perhaps in the way Marcus thinks.
It's certainly not evidence that English state schools are rubbish, simply because intellect and education are not necessary for success in politics. Just six words prove this: John Prescott is deputy prime minister.
Instead, I suspect there are different reasons for our under-representation in top politics:
1. An interest in ideas - which is what a good education gives you - is a positive drawback to a political career. To our philistine intolerant MSM, any politician who says anything interesting commits a "gaffe." Just look at how - in different parties and generations - the careers of Keith Joseph and Frank Field were blighted by their interest in ideas.
2. The key to success in politics, and other careers, is self-restraint. The ability to keep quiet - to look like a "safe pair of hands", to not offend anyone - is what matters. Boarding schools and presbyterian backgrounds often give you such self restraint. State schools don't.
3. Fitting in also matters - being a team player.  Scots have this, as minorities tend naturally to bond with each other. So too, of course, do Etonians. We state school kids don't fit in. The very fact that we got to university from a poor home proves we're a little eccentric.  And our accents and chip on our shoulders marks us out further.
You don't think that prattle about diversity and inclusivity applies to the likes of us, do you?

Comments

[Matthew]

Frank Field and John Prescott have university degrees from the same place, Hull, though Prescott also attended Ruskin college, so I don't think you can assert that one's intelligent and the other isn't. I've never seen anything in their respective political careers to believe it either.

[Backword Dave]

"It's certainly remarkable that, AFAIK, only two of 23 Cabinet ministers - Beckett and Miliband - have attended state school and have post-graduate degrees." Surely you mean *English* State schools, unless you know something about Gordon Brown and John Reid the rest of us don't.

[Gracchi]

I agree with you entirely about the prominence of ideas in public life- I find it comical when someone like Alaistair Campbell insists on ideas, you know that he doesn't know what an idea is nor does he understand where one comes from. Its interesting as well to note how separate academia and politics have become over the last generation- no more Ralph Millibands being key figures.

[dearieme]

"The ability to keep quiet...and presbyterian backgrounds often give you such self restraint": in my experience, Cambridge combination rooms are dull compared to the lively Edinburgh common room that I used to argue in. Cambridge = solemn; Edinburgh = serious, and serious laddies josh, tease and joke a lot. At least there, back then.

[chris y]

Matthew, Chris isn't arguing that Prescott isn't intelligent - anyone who's dealt with him will tell you that he's extraordinarily quick on the uptake and knows his brief inside out. But he's not "an intellectual". Field is, and Field is not DPM.

[dearieme]

"only two of 23 Cabinet ministers have attended state school and have post-graduate degrees": perhaps the key question should be how many attended state schools without extra private coaching and....

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