The Education Secretary told the Daily Telegraph he was "concerned" by the increase in examination success at A level by "homely-looking" girls from state schools. "Time was when we could depend on the Daily Telegraph to produce pictures of pretty eighteen year olds in private school uniform jumping with joy and hugging each other at this time of year.
"We have to face the fact that the independent sector is in financial trouble and that pretty girls in state schools tend to have more dates and therefore spend less time studying. What we're left with is a rump of swotty northern fat-girls waving their A stars at Guardian photographers and threatening to become lawyers and doctors. We need a return to basic standards of prettiness and school uniforms, more free schools and fewer free school meals."