54% of Burnham's cabinet went to Oxbridge — nearly double the rate under Starmer

More than half of Andy Burnham's cabinet ministers attended Oxford or Cambridge, up from 29% under Keir Starmer, according to Guardian analysis published July 26, 2026. Roughly 1% of the UK population attended either university. LSE sociologist Sam Friedman's research finds pupils from the nine most exclusive private schools are 52 times more likely to reach elite positions than other pupils.