Former PM
criticises dominance of privately educated and affluent at upper echelons of
power
 |
| John Major said: 'Our education system should help children out of the circumstances in which they were born.' Photograph: Mathew Polak/Polak Matthew/Corbis Sygma |
Sir John Major has criticised the "truly shocking" dominance of the upper
echelons of power in Britain by the privately educated and affluent middle
class, it was reported.
In remarks
that will sting Eton-educated David Cameron, his Tory predecessor in 10 Downing
Street is said to have called for more to be done to boost social mobility.
The Daily
Telegraph said the state-educated former prime minister, who left school at 16,
spoke out in a speech to members of the South Norfolk constituency party.
"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," he is reported to have said. "To me, from my background, I
find that truly shocking."
Cameron has
faced claims he has surrounded himself with people from a similarly privileged
family and educational background.
Major said:
"Our education system should help children out of the circumstances in
which they were born, not lock them into the circumstances in which they were
born.
"We
need them to fly as high as their luck, their ability and their sheer hard
graft can actually take them. And it isn't going to happen magically."
In an
appeal for unity, Major said the party could win the 2015 general election
"but only if we pull together" - saying internal criticism could be
productive but should be kept private.
"Public
criticism is destructive. Take it from me. Political parties who are divided
and torn simply do not win general elections," he said in a nod to the
divisions which wracked his own premiership.
On one
issue that has caused Conservative grass-roots dissent – gay marriage – he
urged people to accept times had changed. "We may be unsettled by them,
but David Cameron and his colleagues have no choice but to deal with this new
world. They cannot, Canute-like order it to go away because it won't," he
said.
And on
another major area of concern, he recommended a less-confrontational approach
to the threat of the UK Independence Party.
"We
don't need to make personal attacks on Ukip," he said. "Many of the
Ukip supporters are patriotic Britons who fear their country is changing.
"It is
far more productive to expose the follies in their policies."
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