Where all the new Labour Cabinet went to uni and the ‘worthless’ degrees they studied

Keir Starmer’s new Labour Cabinet have been appointed and, according to new research, 92 per cent of them went to a state school. Only one, new Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, went to a fee-paying school. This is the highest percentage in history. In comparison, of Rishi Sunak’s former Tory Cabinet, over 60 per cent of them went to private schools.

But what about after that? Well, less than half of the cabinet is actually Oxbridge-educated. 40 per cent of the new cabinet studied at Oxford or Cambridge, including Keir Starmer himself who studied for a postgrad degree in civil law after graduating from Leeds.

Beyond this, there’s always so much criticism for people studying non-STEM subjects, with them often being labelled “worthless” or “Mickey Mouse” degrees. 60 per cent of all the Cabinet studied humanities subjects.

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When asked about the figures at a Downing Street press conference on Saturday, Keir said: “I’m really proud of the fact that my Cabinet reflects the aspiration that I believe lies at the heart of our country. The aspiration that so many people have, wherever they started from, to make a journey in life for themselves, for their families, for their communities and ultimately for their country.

“I’m proud of the fact we have people around that Cabinet table who didn’t have the easiest start in life. But to see them sitting in the Cabinet this morning was a proud moment for me and for this changed Labour Party, and a reinforcement of my belief in that aspiration.”

So, this is where all the new Labour Cabinet went to uni and what they studied:

Keir Starmer

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Our new Prime Minister studied law at the University of Leeds. He joined the uni’s Labour Club and was the first in his family to graduate from uni. He then went on to do a Master’s degree at the University of Oxford.

Rachel Reeves

The first female Chancellor Rachel Reeves studied the classic PPE at the University of Oxford before going on to study for a Master’s in economics from LSE.

Angela Rayner

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The New Deputy Prime Minister did not go to university, having left school at 16 with no qualifications when she got pregnant. She later studied part-time at Stockport College, learning British Sign Language, and gaining an NVQ Level two in social care.

David Lammy

Our new Foreign Secretary David Lammy has a 2:1 in law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). After graduating he went on to study at Harvard University in the US where he became the first black British person to study at Harvard Law School.

Yvette Cooper

Home Secretary Yvetter Cooper (who is also married to Ed Balls!) is another classic politician who studied PPE at Oxford. She graduated with a first-class degree and then got her Master’s in economics from LSE.

Wes Streeting

Via YouTube

Our government’s new Health Secretary Wes Streeting studied history at the University of Cambridge. He was actually the president of Cambridge’s Student Union from 2004-5.

Bridget Phillipson

Bridget Phillipson is the new Education Secretary. She studied history and French at the University of Oxford.

Pat McFadden

The new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden studied politics at the University of Edinburgh,

Shabana Mahmood

The Government’s new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood studied law at Oxford. She was president of the Junior Common Room (JCR) and shared that Rishi Sunak was actually in the year above her at Lincoln College, and had promised to vote for her in the JCR election.

Ed Milliband

Via YouTube

He’s back! Ed Milliband studied PPE at Oxford before going on to study for a Master’s in economics at LSE.

Peter Kyle 

Peter Kyle is the new Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary and he actually left school, in his own words, “without any usable qualifications” after finding out he had dyslexia.

When he was 25, he was accepted on his third attempt to become a student at the University of Sussex, where he studied geography, international development and environmental studies, and later a PhD in community development.

Louise Haigh 

New Transport Secretary Louise Haigh originally started studying government and economics at the London School of Economics but dropped out and decided to study politics at Nottingham instead.

Liz Kendall 

Via YouTube

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall graduated from Queen’s College Cambridge with a first-class degree in History.

Jonathan Reynolds

The new Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, studied politics and modern history at the University of Manchester.

John Healey 

John Healey is the new Defence Secretary. He studied social and political science at Cambridge.

Steve Reed 

Our new Environment Secretary Steve Reed studied English at the University of Sheffield.

Lisa Nandy 

Via YouTube

Lisa Nandy is our new Culture, Media and Sport Secretary. She went to Newcastle University where she studied politics and then got her Master’s in public policy from Birkbeck, University of London.

Hilary Benn 

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn studied Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Sussex.

Ian Murray 

Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray studied social policy and law at the University of Edinburgh. At uni he set up his own pizza delivery service.

Jo Stevens 

The Labour Government’s new Secretary of State for Wales is Jo Stevens. She studied law at Manchester Uni.

Lucy Powell 

Via YouTube

New Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell studied chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, and King’s College London.

Baroness Smith 

Angela Smith is the Leader of the House of Lords. She studied public administration at Leicester Polytechnic.

Alan Campbell 

The new Chief Whip Alan Cambell studied at Lancaster where he got a BA in politics. He then studied for a PGCE at the University of Leeds, before going to Newcastle Polytechnic to study for an MA in history.

Darren Jones 

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, studied human bioscience at the University of Plymouth. He was another Cabinet member to also be president of their SU.

Richard Hermer KC

And finally, Attorney General Richard Hrener studied politics and modern history at Manchester.

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