THE drive to open up wellpaid jobs to talented workingclass youngsters is “top of the political agenda” after a landmark Government report, Alan Milburn said yesterday.

The Darlington MP spoke of his delight after Gordon Brown accepted the bulk of his recommendations.

Mr Brown has also asked Mr Milburn, a former Cabinet minister, to advise on progress, which would give him a role even on retirement from Westminster at the General Election, probably in May.

Mr Milburn said: “What is gratifying is that the Government has put social mobility at the top of its political agenda, as well as accepting the vast majority of our recommendations.”

In his report, Mr Milburn warned that the rich and powerful had tightened their grip on the top jobs in law, politics, business, medicine, academia and the media.

His report found that only seven per cent of pupils attend private schools, yet they make up 75 per cent of judges, 70 per cent of finance directors and 32 per cent of MPs.

There is also a Southern domination, with only seven per cent of leading barristers coming from the North-East, compared to 67 per cent from London and the South-East.

In its response yesterday, the Government pledged to:

● Set up a Social Mobility Commission, to produce an annual report on progress in opening up the professions to people from poorer backgrounds;

● Help 130,000 of the brightest young people from lowincome backgrounds, from 2012, including giving them experience of higher education, mentoring and highquality advice;

● Provide bursaries to allow a wider range of young people to gain vital work experience;

● Require primary schools to assess pupils on skills such as leadership and presentation, which are highly valued in the leading professions.

However, not all of his recommendations were accepted – the Government ruling out scrapping the Connexions advice service, flexible working for all and tax breaks for companies opening up access.

The response also ducked the idea of vouchers for poorer pupils, worth 50 per cent more than the cost of teaching a student, to give thriving schools a powerful incentive to accept them.