Centre for Policy Studies THE GREAT AND GOOD? THE RISE OF THE NEW CLASS Martin McElwee THE AUTHOR Martin McElwee was educated at Trinity High Comprehensive School, Glasgow and at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (where he attained first-class degrees in Law at undergraduate and masters levels). He is currently Deputy Editor at the Centre for Policy Studies. The Centre for Policy Studies never expresses a corporate view in any of its publications. Contributions are chosen for their independence of thought and cogency of argument. Centre for Policy Studies, 2000 ISBN No: 1 903219 03 5 Centre for Policy Studies 57 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QL Tel: 0171 222 4488 Fax: 0171 222 4388 e-mail:
[email protected] website: www.cps.org.uk Printed by The Chameleon Press, 5 – 25 Burr Road, London SW18 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THE CONCEPT OF THE NEW CLASS 1 THE CREATION OF THE NEW CLASS 6 THE MEDIA AND THE NEW CLASS 22 BUSINESS AND THE NEW CLASS 28 SHOWBUSINESS, CULTURE & THE ARTS AND THE NEW CLASS 34 LAWYERS AND THE NEW CLASS 40 ACADEMICS AND THE NEW CLASS 42 FRIENDS AND DONORS 45 APPENDIX 1: KEY FIGURES IN THE NEW CLASS APPENDIX 2: BIOGRAPHIES OF THE SPECIAL ADVISERS INTRODUCTION THE CONCEPT OF THE NEW CLASS The Prime Minister has a vision of a New Britain. Central to this vision is the creation of a “New Class”, a new elite placed in positions of authority, who will propagate the new spirit of the age and spread the principles of the Third Way across Britain.