Is Danny Dyer right about Boris Johnson?

The actor’s early morning rant about the prime minister’s privilege prompted a wave of support on social media – but is he right? Andrew Grice explains

Boris Johnson pictured during his time at Eton college (Rex)

Danny Dyer has claimed that the coronavirus pandemic has proved that “people who went to Eton” are unable to run the country. 

The EastEnders actor, who previously branded the Eton-educated David Cameron a “twat” for calling the EU referendum, told BBC Breakfast that a “little group” who attended the independent boarding school has shown it is time for “working-class people” who have “lived a real life” to run the UK. His comments were welcomed by the Social Mobility Commission, which advises the government, and the Sutton Trust, a charity which campaigns for social mobility.

When Boris Johnson became prime minister in July last year, Downing Street vowed: “Boris will build a cabinet showcasing all the talents within the party that truly reflect modern Britain.” Yet his cabinet was the most privately educated for a generation. The proportion who went to a private school (64 per cent) was more than twice that of Theresa May’s 2016 cabinet (30 per cent) and higher than Mr Cameron’s 2015 cabinet (50 per cent) and the 2010 coalition cabinet (62 per cent).