Ever since Andrew Neil’s provocative documentary Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain aired on Wednesday night commentators have been going wild with debates on everything from party candidate selection to David Cameron’s heritage: but most importantly, on social mobility.

For approximately the first 25 minutes of the documentary I was absolutely livid at the portrayal of those who are educated at Britain’s public schools, feeling that a few carefully selected case studies were being used to pigeon hole an entire sector of society. An image was being painted that all who attend elite public schools were well heeled and well monied, would never have a problem getting a job due to their being full to burst of tangible family connections and would never have to worry about how to support a family, most of which, for quite a large proportion of privately educated young people is simply not the case.

That being said, the documentary did make one very good stand out point. Something needs to be done to encourage young adults with a state school education, from a lesser privileged background to wish to engage in the political system. I will not be heading off to Oxford of Cambridge next year (I did not even apply) but I do not ever feel the need of believe that I should have to make it a secret that I have been educated at a public school. I would never be arrogant enough to assume that I ‘deserved’ a place at any university, unless I worked for it, and worked just as hard as anyone else from any other background. Gone are the days that can get you into the Oxbridge college of your choice just through knowing the right people, or coming from the ‘right school’ – the countless number of my peers I have seen stumbling at the mounting block this interview season is a living testament to that fact. The pair of old Etonians that were interviewed in their school shop have it completely right; we have to make excuses for the fact we have, in fact, just been lucky. If mine is the system that is ‘manufacturing’ the ‘old boys networks’ (In a nod to Dr John Rae’s fantastic book on life at Westminster School) of Westminster politicians, what is it that we are doing right in terms of student motivation, discipline and support that schools in the state sector need to learn from?

One of the main functions of the House of Commons is representation; so it is right to say that the make up of the MP’s should reflect that of our country, and with only 7% being privately educated, there is huge disproportion between the house and the people they have been elected to represent. These ‘networks’ only exist because large proportions of students from these top public schools and top universities have gone on to be highly successful and able to support each other in any number of given fields. This is all achieved from the original merit of the students, so if the essence and the motivation of the private sector could be recaptured in a system for the brightest and most able students in the state sector, social mobility will be improved and, rather than penalizing the private sector for their ‘networks’, new networks will be able to be formed, based on the merit of high achieving members of the working and middle classes. Friends who are perfectly capable of attaining the grades possible to enter into Oxford or Cambridge, but do not have the privilege of an expensive education have told me that they did not apply because ‘people like us don’t go to Oxford and Cambridge’. Efforts need to be made to remove such a stigma of unattainability from these establishments.

When Andrew Neil proclaimed, just before the end credits rolled that “Meritocracy dies at the end of the last century. Rest in peace” I felt the overwhelming urge to shout at the television that he was wrong. The documentary’s argument that societies such as the Oxford Union, and PPE degree courses were training grounds for future front benchers may be true; but no one seems to be pointing our just how much merit students need to have in order survive on the floor in one of the Union’s debates or to see the course through to its end, let alone achieve a first as a few of those on the front benches have managed. Meritocracy is still alive and kicking, and if those who achieve the level of attainment required to be able to compete in the political arena tend to come from a privileged education and background that is a different issue entirely.

Something needs to be done to encourage those from a less privileged background to apply to top universities, and to engage in the political system – but not at the expense of those whose parents chose to send them for a privileged education as a result of an experiment in social engineering. I personally favor the grammar school system, but with an extra focus on improving secondary school so they are not seen as second rate, just less academically focused than the grammar establishments.