Half of Britain’s commentariat attended private school.
Ever wondered why so many newspaper columnists sound like they’ve never stepped inside an Aldi, been camping, or taken a bus? The answer’s simple – most of them probably haven’t. Half of Britain’s commentariat attended private school. And, as Right-Wing Media Watch readers know all too well – it shows.
New research by the Sutton Trust confirms 50 percent of columnists were privately educated, a six-point increase since 2019. To put that in perspective, just 6 percent of UK children attend private schools. Yet those who shape public opinion through newspaper columns and broadcast commentary overwhelmingly come from this small, privileged slice of society.
The ‘Elitist Britain 2025’ report looks at the educational backgrounds of Britain’s leading figures. Columnists, opinion writers, and pundits, it found, are far more likely to have attended private school than news reporters. In other words, the people telling us what the news means tend to come from a very narrow social background.
The Sutton Trust attributes this imbalance to the growing precarity of journalism. Long-term, well-paid media roles are increasingly difficult to secure, and those without family wealth or a financial safety net may simply be unable to pursue them. As a result, the pipeline to opinion-shaping positions remains tilted toward the privileged.
Right-Wing Media Watch readers will be unsurprised by the findings. After all, many of Britain’s best-known right-wing commentators embody the very elitism they claim to criticise.
Take Douglas Murray, associate editor of the Spectator and a leading neoconservative voice. He positions himself as a straight-talking man of the people, yet his education tells another story. Murray attended local state schools before his parents withdrew him, citing a “declining ethos,” and secured scholarships to St Benedict’s School and the world-famous Eton College. From there, it was on to Magdalen College, Oxford, a classic establishment trajectory.
Then there’s Isabel Oakeshott, prominent right-wing pundit and partner of Reform UK’s Richard Tice. In September, Oakeshott made headlines for falsely claiming that Heathrow Airport was sponsoring Reform’s party conference. Oakeshott, too, enjoyed a privileged education, attending St George’s School, Edinburgh, and Gordonstoun School in Moray, both private institutions.
Or consider Katie Hopkins, the ‘professional’ online provocateur, who was fired from LBC after calling for a “final solution” in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing. Hopkins was educated at a private convent school.
Likewise, Jacob Rees-Mogg, GB News presenter and self-styled defender of traditional values, is an Eton alumnus and former cabinet minister who inherited considerable wealth and status.
The list could go on and on.
Given this dominance of privilege, it’s little surprise that younger audiences are turning away from traditional media. For Gen Z, platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram feel far more authentic and representative of real life than the comment pages of the Telegraph or Spectator.
Why would they trust columnists who grew up in boarding houses and dining halls to speak for their lived experiences?
Want Right-Wing Watch in a different format? Subscribe on Substack.
Left Foot Forward doesn’t have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.
