DOWNING Street has sought to brush aside another dig at David Cameron and his apparent penchant for surrounding himself with fellow toffs.

Last week, Michael Gove, the Aberdonian Education Secretary, who attended state and fee-paying schools in Scotland, said it was "ridiculous" there were so many privately-educated people at the top of the Coalition.

Now his Conservative colleague Baroness Warsi has supported Mr Gove's observation in a TV appearance.

"Michael was making an incredibly serious point that it can't be right that the 7% of kids who go to independent school end up at the top tables, not just of politics, but banking, and law, and every other profession.

"What Michael wants to create is a first class, world class state system which means that in future years you will have more pupils from state schools, people like me, around the Cabinet table, and in that I fully support Michael Gove," the UK Faith and Communities minister insisted.

Among fellow Old Etonians around the Prime Minister are his Chief of Staff, Ed Llewellyn; the head of his Policy Unit, Jo Johnson; Minister for Government Policy, Oliver Letwin; and George Osborne's chief economic adviser, Rupert Harrison. The Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg were also privately educated.