Michael Settle reported on new Sutton Trust candidates’ research for the Scottish Daily Record.

Half of the Conservative Party’s General Election candidates and one in five of Labour’s candidates were privately educated compared to just seven per cent of the population as a whole, a new survey has found.

Research from the Sutton Trust, a social mobility think-tank, said the figures showed the “next crop of potential MPs are likely to be remarkably similar to the current parliament and the chances of being in a position to be elected to government are much higher for those fortunate enough to attend fee-paying schools”.

It adds: “The findings demonstrate the low levels of social mobility in Britain and its implications for the diversity of experience within Parliament.”