Oxford degree snub for Blair

Tony Blair studied at St John's College, Oxford

Prime Minister Tony Blair will not be receiving an honorary degree from Oxford, according to the university's chancellor and former home secretary Lord Jenkins of Hillhead.

His remarks, reported in the Spectator magazine, follow the row over elitism and university admissions sparked by the Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Tony Blair during his student days

Last month Mr Brown caused a furore when he criticised the university for not taking on comprehensive school student Laura Spence, despite impressive qualifications.

When asked if Mr Blair would be likely to receive an honorary degree from Oxford, the prime minister's alma mater, Lord Jenkins said: "No, not now."

The Liberal Democrat peer added that this was a direct result of Mr Brown's remarks and said: "It nearly came up in his first year but we've rather lost our nerve about politicians now.

"I got one in 1969, but I'd have never got one now."

Turning to the chancellor, Lord Jenkins said the elitism row "has not enhanced my view of Gordon Brown".

The former leader of the breakaway SDP, which split from Labour in the 1980s, became something of a guru to Mr Blair in the run-up to and after the 1997 election.

Baroness Thatcher was rebuffed by Oxford

Mr Blair appointed him chair of the Independent Commission on the Voting System, charged with coming up with an alternative, proportional election system for Westminster to put to the public in a referendum.

But since the commission produced its final recommendations in 1998, its report has been gathering dust.

In the Spectator, Lord Jenkins also criticised the government for attempting to assert control over university admissions policies.

He said: "There should be no question of governments or agents of governments deciding which individual should or should not be admitted to university.

"It would also be intolerable that someone should be excluded on the grounds that they are from a privileged school."

Blair defends stance

A Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister was not aware he was being considered for an honorary degree, nor had he even discussed it.

He defended the government's "agenda of opportunity for all".

"We are proud of our world-class universities, but we accept the fact that we need to make sure people from all backgrounds get the opportunities to go there," he said.

When Baroness Thatcher was prime minister she was refused an honorary Oxford degree, largely in protest at her education policies.