Nearly 40 Labour Members of Parliament who attended private schools have omitted this information from their entries in the biographical reference book Who’s Who, according to an analysis conducted recently. The publication, which features self-written profiles of over 33,000 notable individuals, revealed that 36 Labour MPs did not disclose their private education backgrounds. Eighteen Labour MPs, by contrast, did acknowledge attending private schools.

Among those who did not declare their private schooling were prominent figures such as former defence secretary John Healey and culture secretary Lisa Nandy. Other MPs highlighted included Catherine Atkinson (Derby North), who attended Benenden School, and Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, an alumnus of Westminster School. The latter’s father, Charlie Falconer, was reportedly questioned about his children’s private education during his bid to become a Labour candidate in 1997; he was subsequently appointed to the House of Lords and made lord chancellor by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Healey attended St Peter’s School in York, while Conservative MP Kanishka Narayan, who reportedly did not acknowledge his Eton education in the publication, stated that he was unaware he had a Who’s Who entry but maintained that he had been “happily open” about his schooling on his own website. Lisa Nandy, who attended the private Moor Allerton preparatory school before moving to Parrs Wood comprehensive in Manchester, mentioned only the latter institution in her profile. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, did not attend private school but went to the church-based comprehensive St Robert of Newminster. She was among a small group from her year to gain admission to Oxbridge. Fellow Labour MP Dodds affirmed that her attendance at Robert Gordon’s College was “common knowledge” and said she has been “always open” about it.

The findings emerge amid controversy over Labour’s recent proposal to introduce a 20% VAT surcharge on private school fees, a policy critics say has contributed to the closure of more than 100 private schools. The debate spilled into Commons exchanges last month, with Conservative figures accusing Labour MPs of hypocrisy. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative education secretary, described Phillipson as a “spiteful class warrior” during a parliamentary dispute. Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake commented that many Labour MPs had concealed their own private school backgrounds while supporting the tax increase.

In response, Healey said he had not read his Who’s Who entry but expressed pride in securing a place at St Peter’s sixth form. The row underscores ongoing tensions about education policy and class perceptions within UK politics.