Did any ministers study at your alma mater?

For many people, their views on the world began to take more certain form while at university. The three or more years spent in the library and the Student Union helps to shape the future of graduates in any number of different ways.

Theresa May recently unveiled her Cabinet, but to what extent is there a degree of change?

We looked into where each cabinet member studied and there were a few surprises…

Unsurprisingly, a fair few of them went to Oxbridge, but much more unexpectedly more Cabinet ministers studied at the University of Southampton – one – than the whole of the north of England.

Mrs May studied at the University of Oxford, although with the unusual choice of a geography degree. Five of her colleagues sat around the Cabinet table also studied among the dreaming spires too, with new chancellor Philip Hammond one of four to have read Philosophy, Politics and Economics there.

Cambridge has four Cabinet ministers, the most prominent is history graduate Chris Grayling, while combined the Scottish universities also claim four, led by another history graduate, new home secretary Amber Rudd who is an alumnae of Edinburgh University,

David Davis and Andrea Leadsom headed to Warwick while Exeter University also has two former students as part of Mrs May’s team.

Just one Cabinet member, party chairman Patrick McLoughlin didn’t go to university and began working on a farm instead.

Here is the full list of who, what and where…

Oxford University

Prime Minister Theresa May – Geography
Chancellor Philip Hammond – Philosophy, Politics & Economics
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson – Classics, Philosophy & Ancient History
Justice Secretary Liz Truss – Philosophy, Politics & Economics
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt – Philosophy, Politics & Economics
Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green – Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Cambridge University

Leader of Lords Baroness Evans – Social and Political Sciences
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling – History
Leader of Commons David Lidington – History
Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Secretary Greg Clark – Economics

Exeter University

Communities & Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid – Economics & Politics
Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire – Law

Edinburgh University

Home Secretary Amber Rudd – History
Scottish Secretary David Mundell – Law

Warwick University

Brexit Secretary David Davis – Molecular Science & Computer Science
Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom – Political Science

Glasgow Medical School

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox – Medicine

St Andrews University

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon – Classics & Ancient History

Keele University

International Development Secretary Priti Patel – Economics, Sociology and Social Anthropology

University of Wales

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns Alun Cairns – Corporate Location and Inward Investment MBA

Imperial College

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley – Mathematics

Southampton University

Education Secretary Justine Greening – Economics

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