The former Conservative PM reportedly made his remarks in a speech to Tory party members in Norfolk
John Major has reportedly slammed the "truly shocking" dominance
of power in Britain by the privately educated and affluent middle class.
The
former Conservative prime minister, who left school at 16 after a state
education, hit out in a speech to Tory party members in Norfolk.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Sir John, PM from 1990 to 1997,
said: "In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power
in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle
class.
"To me, from my background, I find that truly shocking."
Current PM David
Cameron, who was educated at posh fee-paying Eton, has faced claims he has
surrounded himself with people from a similarly privileged family and
educational background.
Sir John pinned the blame for a collapse in social mobility on
Labour, which he said left a "Victorian divide between stagnation and
aspiration".
"I remember enough of my past to be outraged on behalf of the
people abandoned when social mobility is lost," he is said to have told the
South Norfolk constituency party gathering.
"Our education system should help children out of the
circumstances in which they were born, not lock them into the circumstances in
which they were born.
"We need them to fly as high as their luck, their ability and
their sheer hard graft can actually take them - and it isn't going to happen
magically."
Labour leader Ed Miliband's adoption of the one nation party
mantra was "absurd", he suggested.
In an appeal for unity, Sir John said the party could win the 2015
general election "but only if we pull together" - saying internal criticism
could be productive but should be kept private.
"Public criticism is destructive," he said.
"Take it from me - political parties who are divided and torn
simply do not win general elections."
On one issue that has caused grass-roots dissent, gay marriage, he
urged people to accept times had changed, warning it was "toxic".
"We may be unsettled by them, but David Cameron and his colleagues
have no choice but to deal with this new world," he said.
"They cannot, Canute-like order it to go away because it
won't."
On another major area of concern, he recommended a
less-confrontational approach to the threat of Ukip.
"We don't need to make personal attacks on Ukip," he said.
"Many of the Ukip supporters are patriotic Britons who fear their
country is changing.
"It is far more productive to expose the follies in their
policies."
Norfolk South MP Richard Bacon MP, who hosted the dinner, said:
"It was a superb speech which drew attention to the huge damage done to social
mobility especially by the last Labour government.
"I think the coalition is acutely aware of this problem and is
taking steps to address it such as cutting tax for the low paid and the pupil
premium but it is an enormous task."
