Oxbridge alumni again set to feature heavily in next parliament

A study by the Sutton Trust which examines the backgrounds of prospective parliamentary candidates who were felt to have a reasonable possibility of victory says that 19 per cent have a degree from the universities of Oxford or Cambridge, compared with less than 1 per cent of the population at large.

Some 55 per cent attended a Russell Group university, including Oxford or Cambridge, compared with 11 per cent of all UK adults. Only one in 10 have no degree, compared with 62 per cent nationwide.

The research, which is based on the university backgrounds of 209 would-be MPs, concludes that the next parliament is unlikely to be significantly more diverse than the current one, in which 24 per cent of MPs have Oxbridge degrees. Fifty-four per cent of serving MPs have a Russell Group education, and 17 per cent have no degree.

Read his full report here.