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| Michael Gove attacks David Cameron’s ‘preposterous’ inner circle of old Etonians | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, has criticised the “ridiculous” number of old Etonians in David Cameron’s inner circle of advisers. | Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, has criticised the “ridiculous” number of old Etonians in David Cameron’s inner circle of advisers. |
| Mr Gove, who went to a fee-paying school in Scotland, said such a “preposterous” concentration of individuals from the same privileged background at the top of Government did not exist in any other developed country. | Mr Gove, who went to a fee-paying school in Scotland, said such a “preposterous” concentration of individuals from the same privileged background at the top of Government did not exist in any other developed country. |
| “It doesn’t make me feel personally uncomfortable because I like each of the individuals concerned,” Mr Gove said in an interview with the Financial Times. | “It doesn’t make me feel personally uncomfortable because I like each of the individuals concerned,” Mr Gove said in an interview with the Financial Times. |
| “But it is ridiculous. I don't know where you can find a similar situation in any other developed economy.” | “But it is ridiculous. I don't know where you can find a similar situation in any other developed economy.” |
| Earlier this month, Mr Gove became the first Conservative education minister to send his children to a state secondary school. | Earlier this month, Mr Gove became the first Conservative education minister to send his children to a state secondary school. |
| He stressed that the number of former students from the £30,000 a-year Eton College at the top of Mr Cameron’s Government reflected the historic failings of the state system. | He stressed that the number of former students from the £30,000 a-year Eton College at the top of Mr Cameron’s Government reflected the historic failings of the state system. |
| “I don’t blame any of the individuals concerned, that would be equally silly. But it’s a function of the fact that, as we pointed out a couple of years ago, more boys from Eton went to Oxford and Cambridge than boys eligible for free school meals,” Mr Gove said. | “I don’t blame any of the individuals concerned, that would be equally silly. But it’s a function of the fact that, as we pointed out a couple of years ago, more boys from Eton went to Oxford and Cambridge than boys eligible for free school meals,” Mr Gove said. |
| Other old Etonians advising Mr Cameron include policy unit head Jo Johnson, who is the brother of London Mayor Boris Johnson, and chief of staff Ed Llewellyn. | Other old Etonians advising Mr Cameron include policy unit head Jo Johnson, who is the brother of London Mayor Boris Johnson, and chief of staff Ed Llewellyn. |
| Labour said his comments showed the Conservatives are “out of touch” with the concerns of ordinary people in Britain. | Labour said his comments showed the Conservatives are “out of touch” with the concerns of ordinary people in Britain. |
| Jon Ashworth, a shadow Cabinet Office minister, said: “It's up to David Cameron who he puts into top jobs, and the fact is that the Prime Minister has chosen to surround himself with people just like himself. He's leading a Government that's completely out of touch.” | Jon Ashworth, a shadow Cabinet Office minister, said: “It's up to David Cameron who he puts into top jobs, and the fact is that the Prime Minister has chosen to surround himself with people just like himself. He's leading a Government that's completely out of touch.” |