So much for Number 10 North – top government roles dominated by southerners

With evidence mounting daily that Andy Burham’s regime will be absolute continuity nonsense with a mild northern accent, research shows just how thin the veneer of north-ness might be.

Ahead of Burnham creating Number 10 North, the Sutton Trust has released analysis of its Elitist Britain 2025 report. It shows that people who grew up in London and the South East dominate the key roles making decisions that affect all our lives.

Half of all top government officials got their education in London and the South East. Almost a third went to private schools in those regions.

This includes 50% of permanent secretaries, and 52% of special advisers. Overall, 42% of senior civil servants, diplomats and public body CEOs went to school in London and the South East. And 23% of them attended private schools in these regions.

This is completely unbalanced and unrepresentative of the nation as a whole. Only 28% of the UK’s population is educated in London and the South East. And less than 3% of the total population is educated privately in these regions.

Northern regions are particularly underrepresented among these top governing roles. Just 17% of permanent secretaries and Lords went to schools in the whole north of England.

The House of Lords stands out for being unrepresentative of the population as a whole. Almost half (46%) were educated in London the South East, and 31% attended private schools in these regions.

In contrast, there’s a much more even spread of regional representation in the House of Commons. 15% of MPs were educated in London and a further 14% were educated in the South East. 13% were educated in the North West.

North remains under-represented

These results mean someone attending a private school in London and the South East is 24 times more likely to become a Permanent Secretary, and 23 times more likely to become a Lord, than someone attending a state school in the north of England.

The Sutton Trust is calling for public services, and all employers with over 250 staff, to report on the socio-economic background of their workforce, and encourage reporting of class pay gaps. This would enable a better understanding of the make-up of their workforce to identify and tackle access and progression gaps.

To widen the talent pool of applicants to public roles, the education achievements of job candidates should be considered in the context of disadvantage, including attendance at underperforming schools and coming from deprived neighbourhoods. This will help build a pipeline of leaders that reflects the experiences of society more broadly.

And as well as taking steps to improve education outcomes across the UK, cross-government economic policy should focus on spreading opportunity across the country. This should potentially include greater devolution of powers, reforms to local government funding, as well as investment in transport and infrastructure.

Commenting, Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust, said:

We talk about the Westminster bubble. These figures suggest it’s not just a political bubble, but a geographical one too. Talent is spread right across the country, but the pathway into Britain’s most powerful public roles clearly isn’t.

This is not just about fairness. Public institutions are stronger when they reflect the experiences and perspectives of the people they serve.

If we want to rebuild trust in those institutions and make better decisions, we need to widen access to the most senior roles, remove barriers to progression, and ensure opportunity isn’t determined by your postcode or your parents’ income.

Perhaps Number 10 North can be the start of changing this.

Featured image via the Canary