Every UK minister since 1979
1,173
ministers
3,773
appointments
11
prime ministers
47
years
1979 vs today
Women
4%
→
53%
Oxbridge
78%
→
34%
Privately educated
88%
→
27%
Worked in politics first
14%
→
56%
Median age
50
→
48
Findings
Who they are
The rise of the career politician
56%
of today's ministers worked in politics before entering Parliament
A government that looks less like 1979
53%
of today's ministers are women
The higher you climb, the more Oxbridge it gets
62%
of Conservative cabinet ministers went to Oxford or Cambridge
Born in London, governing Britain
1.8×
London's share of ministers versus its share of the population
How they rise and fall
Few make it to the top table
23%
of ministers ever reach Secretary of State
Reshuffle Britain
270
ministerial appointments in 2022, the most in any year since 1979
Office buys loyalty
13.5×
more often Conservative (ex-)ministers vote against their party when out of government
Money and life after office
Where ministers go next
501
former ministers with a recorded job after office
Earnings on the side
£6.1m
in outside earnings declared by 52 current and former ministers