THE influence of Eton, dubbed the "chief nurse of England's statesmen", has been questioned by Scotland's Education Secretary.

Michael Russell queried whether the education it offered was entirely responsible for producing its 19 British prime ministers – including David Cameron.

Instead, Mr Russell suggested the privilege of wealth bestowed upon many of its pupils' families may have had an equal impact.

His comments came after one of Mr Cameron's policy advisers, Jessie Norman, said Old Etonians dominated the heart of Westminster because other schools do not have the same commitment to public service.

When asked about the claims at a conference in Edinburgh, Mr Russell said: "Why is the country run by people from Eton? It may be because of the ethos. But it may be because these [government] systems are very often run by those who are rich and well-off and not very often by those that are poor and that suffer a bad education."