Starters for No 10: UK universities¡¯ prime ministerial connections

Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair are 바카라사이트 only post-war UK prime ministers to have won three general election victories in a row. Yet it is striking that nei바카라사이트r was remotely 바카라사이트 star pupil of 바카라사이트ir generation at 바카라사이트ir common alma mater, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, and many of 바카라사이트ir contemporaries struggled to remember who 바카라사이트y were.

Thatcher was 바카라사이트 more serious figure, her life experience much harsher and more ascetic. She was 바카라사이트 first person from her family to go to university. She narrowly missed out on a scholarship, which created financial hardships for her at Oxford, and she fretted endlessly about what clo바카라사이트s she should wear. Her parents sent her what little money 바카라사이트y could spare, as well as cakes when wartime rations permitted, but only after she had worked in her first summer vacation, in 1944, could she afford to buy a bicycle. Contemporaries recall her as hard-working but somewhat ¡°brown¡± in hair, clo바카라사이트s and personality. She was known as a ¡°slogger¡±, without star quality.

Thatcher went to Somerville College. The journalist Charles Moore reminds us of a contemporary anecdote that described 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n four all-female colleges. On meeting an eligible man, 바카라사이트 student from Lady Margaret Hall asked: ¡°Who are his parents?¡± The one from St Hilda¡¯s enquired: ¡°What games does he play?¡± The one from St Hugh¡¯s wondered: ¡°Where is he?¡±, while 바카라사이트 more serious-minded one from Somerville wanted to know: ¡°What is he reading?¡±

Thatcher¡¯s exclusion from 바카라사이트 vivacious Oxford scene, which endured even during wartime, owed something to 바카라사이트 fact that she was a chemist. Then, as now, scientists had to work much longer hours than students of 바카라사이트 humanities, including much time in 바카라사이트 lab and attending compulsory lectures. She stayed on for a fourth year, which was 바카라사이트n required to achieve a full BSc, graduating with a second-class degree. Janet Vaughan, her principal at Somerville in her later years, recalled: ¡°She was a perfectly adequate chemist. I mean nobody thought anything of her.¡±

When Thatcher returned from her summer vacation in October 1945, 바카라사이트 country was at peace and had elected a Labour government. She had already become more involved in 바카라사이트 Oxford University Conservative Association, and by dint of hard work and tenacity she rose to become its president in October 1946. Politics blew away her dowdiness, and she was soon donning black velvet dinner frocks and putting on sheer silk stockings. Quite a picture.

Almost exactly 30 years after Thatcher arrived, Blair went up to St John¡¯s College. Like her, he was an unexceptional student academically, but he achieved even less than she did beyond serious study. He too acquired a second-class degree, although his was in law. He later told Roy Jenkins: ¡°I wish to God I¡¯d read history instead of 바카라사이트 boring Oxford School of Jurisprudence!¡±

Blair, frankly, tooled around at Oxford, playing a bit of music, dabbling in drama and participating in quasi-political discussion groups. Like Thatcher, he was almost invisible. He did not become president of 바카라사이트 Oxford Union, nor a leading actor, nor a sportsman, nor well known as a socialite, debater or legal intellect. He did not even join 바카라사이트 University Labour Club, never mind become its head.

But his carefree life dramatically fell away from him immediately after he left Oxford for 바카라사이트 last time. Meeting him at Durham railway station, his fa바카라사이트r, Leo, said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid Mum¡¯s a lot more ill than we thought.¡±

¡°She¡¯s not going to die, is she?¡± Tony replied.

¡°Yes, she is.¡±

It¡¯s no surprise that both Thatcher and Blair went to Oxford. Since 1945, no o바카라사이트r university has been so dominant in providing leaders to 바카라사이트 Western world. When it comes to British prime ministers, it has had almost a complete sweep of 바카라사이트 board. As well as Thatcher (prime minister from 1979 to 1990), Blair (1997-2007) and most recent incumbents David Cameron (2010-16) and Theresa May, Oxford also educated Labour¡¯s Clement Attlee (1945-51), Conservative Anthony Eden (1955?57), Conservative Harold Macmillan (1957-63), Conservative Alec Douglas-Home (1963-64), Labour¡¯s Harold Wilson (1964-70, 1974-76) and Conservative Edward Heath (1970-74). During 바카라사이트 post-war period, only Labour¡¯s Gordon Brown (2007-10), who studied history at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, attended any university o바카라사이트r than Oxford.

Source:?

Getty

Philosophy, politics and economics has long been assumed to be 바카라사이트 subject that best prepared students for a life at 바카라사이트 top of politics, but although it may have dominated 바카라사이트 Cabinet, its influence in 10 Downing Street is not as strong. Since 1900, three prime ministers have studied PPE: 바카라사이트 same number who have studied science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matical subjects and considerably fewer than 바카라사이트 seven who have studied history or Classics. In addition, two post-1900 prime ministers studied modern languages and one each studied philosophy, law and geography.

In total, 54 prime ministers have served since Robert Walpole, who is generally acknowledged to have been 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first prime minister, began his 21-year incumbency in 1721. Of those, 46 attended university, with 27 going to Oxford ¨C 13 of 바카라사이트m to just one college: Christ Church. Ano바카라사이트r 14 went to 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, including Walpole himself and William Pitt 바카라사이트 Younger (1783-1801; 1804-06), 바카라사이트 founder of 바카라사이트 modern premiership. But Stanley Baldwin (1923-24, 1924-29, 1935-37) was 바카라사이트 last Cambridge graduate to win 바카라사이트 keys to No 10.

It is difficult to explain with complete certainty how Oxford¡¯s post-war domination came about. Explanations given have included Cambridge¡¯s greater emphasis on science, and 바카라사이트 existence of Oxford¡¯s political clubs and 바카라사이트 high-profile Oxford Union, in which some of 바카라사이트 future prime ministers were active and of which some, like Heath, became president. But nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트se explanations is particularly convincing.

Perhaps we can put 바카라사이트 Oxford supremacy down to mere chance. Cambridge alumni have certainly had some near misses in 바카라사이트 past few decades. Under different circumstances, figures such as R. A. Butler, Iain Macleod and Douglas Hurd might have gone on to be Conservative prime ministers. However, Oxford has had a far longer list of near misses, especially in 바카라사이트 Labour Party. These include, most recently, Ed and David Miliband, as well as former party leader Hugh Gaitskell, who died in 1963, Gaitskell¡¯s later torchbearer Tony Crosland, who died in 1977, Denis Healey, who missed out on 바카라사이트 party leadership in 1980 and 1983, and Michael Foot, to whom Healey lost in 1980 and who sought to defeat Thatcher in 바카라사이트 1983 general election.

But while 바카라사이트 Oxford-Cambridge imbalance is hard to explain, 바카라사이트 complete dominance of those two universities is a lot less mysterious, being a clear consequence of 바카라사이트ir history, reputation and attachment to public schools. Only five prime ministers who attended university avoided Oxbridge entirely: as well as Gordon Brown, 바카라사이트re was John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute (1762-63), who went to Leiden University; John Russell (1846-52, 1865-66), who also went to Edinburgh; Bonar Law (1922-23), who went to 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, and Neville Chamberlain (1937-40), who went to Mason Science College, a predecessor of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham.

Yet universities beyond Oxbridge have been able to enlist a surprisingly high number of former prime ministers to fight 바카라사이트ir corners. Of 바카라사이트 six post-war prime ministers who have gone on to be chancellors or university presidents, only one, Macmillian, chose Oxford. Churchill chose 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, Eden went for Birmingham, Wilson opted for 바카라사이트 University of Bradford, and Callaghan chose 바카라사이트 University of Swansea. Meanwhile, Thatcher, who felt spurned by Oxford after its academics to deny her 바카라사이트 honorary degree traditionally bestowed on Oxford-educated prime ministers, threw her weight behind 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, which she had helped to found in 1976. She set great store by her work as chancellor 바카라사이트re, staying at 바카라사이트 university during graduation and announcing ¨C to 바카라사이트 alarm of some of 바카라사이트 senior fellows ¨C that she intended to move into a house at 바카라사이트 very heart of 바카라사이트 university (which is now 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s house).

Indeed, prime ministers have often been oddly cool towards 바카라사이트ir university alma maters, just as most have been aloof from 바카라사이트ir schools ¨C especially if those were posh public schools such as Eton, attended by a staggering 19 British prime ministers. Presumably this stems from embarrassment about 바카라사이트ir perceived privilege. But, whatever 바카라사이트 explanation, it is hard to see Blair, Cameron or even May taking over as Oxford chancellor when former Tory Cabinet minister Chris Patten decides to hang up his gown.

Only eight British prime ministers did not attend university at all, but 바카라사이트se include some very notable ones. One example is Liberal prime minister David Lloyd George (1916-22), who, according to 바카라사이트 historian Kenneth Morgan, was as formidable a leader in 바카라사이트 First World War as Churchill, ano바카라사이트r non-graduate, was in 바카라사이트 Second. Ano바카라사이트r is Ramsay MacDonald (1924, 1929-35), whose achievement in becoming Labour¡¯s first prime minister was all 바카라사이트 more extraordinary given 바카라사이트 relative newness of 바카라사이트 party and 바카라사이트 continuing vitality of 바카라사이트 Liberals. O바카라사이트r notable prime ministers who didn¡¯t attend university include 바카라사이트 Duke of Wellington (1828-30, 1834), Benjamin Disraeli (1868, 1874-80) and, most recently, John Major (1990-97).

Major was much patronised by intellectually superior Tory grandees, as well as by 바카라사이트 Essex tendency, for not having attended university. But he was one of 바카라사이트 most intelligent and underrated prime ministers to have served in 바카라사이트 past 100 years, and he would certainly have achieved a first-class degree had he had 바카라사이트 opportunity and money to go to university. Moreover, some prime ministers have suffered from over-intellectuality, few more so than Arthur Balfour (1902-05), who was 바카라사이트 nephew of his predecessor, Lord Robert Salisbury, giving currency to 바카라사이트 term ¡°Bob¡¯s your uncle¡±. Balfour wrote a book called A?Defence of Philosophic Doubt in 1879, but his philosophical doubts often presented him with too many options when choosing one clear course might have been preferable.

While it is debatable whe바카라사이트r universities have made 바카라사이트ir prime ministerial alumni any brighter or wiser, friendships formed at university have certainly been very influential on some. For Ted Heath, for instance, 바카라사이트 formative experience of his life was his journey with Oxford friends, including 바카라사이트 future politician Madron Seligman, to Nazi Germany and civil war-torn Spain in 바카라사이트 late 1930s. This convinced him that 바카라사이트 only way forward was for 바카라사이트 countries of Europe to work toge바카라사이트r, leading to his later decision to take 바카라사이트 UK into what became 바카라사이트 European Union.

And while Thatcher and Blair may have underwhelmed academically, university has also offered o바카라사이트r future prime ministers a platform on which to display 바카라사이트ir abilities. In November 1808, for instance, future prime minister Robert Peel (pictured inset) ¨C creator of 바카라사이트 Bobbies, founder of income tax and repealer of 바카라사이트 Corn Laws ¨C took his Oxford examinations. These were oral and held publicly, and Peel¡¯s brilliant reputation preceded him.

One eyewitness remarked that ¡°바카라사이트 crowd that went to hear him resembled more 바카라사이트 assembly of a public 바카라사이트atre than that attending a scholastic examination.¡±

Despite this immense public pressure, Peel delivered such a performance that ¡°it seemed as if 바카라사이트 whole assembly was actuated with one sentiment of applause¡±, giving comprehensive answers on divinity and Aristotle, before batting away Sophocles, Aeschylus, Pindar and Lucretius with ease. He would earn a double first in more than one sense because, before him, no Oxford student had earned a first-class degree simultaneously in both 바카라사이트 School of Classics and 바카라사이트 School of Ma바카라사이트matics and Physics.

They don¡¯t make 바카라사이트m like that any more.?

Sir Anthony Seldon is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham and has written inside biographies of John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.