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Oxford 1992: Portrait of a 'classless' Tory
Last updated at 11:07am on 07.04.07The Tories' attempt to build a classless image has hit another obstacle as Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, like his leader David Cameron, was "outed" as a member of the hellraising Bullingdon club at Oxford University.
The society, infamous for "trashing" restaurants and other riotous behaviour, is open only to sons of aristocratic families and the super-rich.
This picture was taken in 1992, when Mr Osborne was a 22-year-old student at Magdalen College. A similar picture from 1987, featuring Mr Cameron, was described by critics as "Lord Snooty and his pals". Here we reveal the fates of the eight 1992 "Buller" men we could trace.
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The picture of the Bullingdon Club that George Osborne, on the far left, might prefer to forget. It was taken on the steps of Christ Church college, Oxford, in 1992
George Osborne as he is today
The 36-year-old MP for Tatton is the eldest son and heir of baronet Sir Peter Osborne, the founder of the upmarket wallpaper merchants, Osborne & Little.
His real name is Gideon but he has used his grandfather's name George since the age of 13. He says: "Life was easier as a George."
At Oxford he edited the university magazine Isis. One issue was printed on hemp paper, made of the stems of cannabis plants.
After leaving university he worked for two years as a freelance journalist before landing a job at the Conservative Research Department. He was made Shadow Chancellor at the age of 33.
He lives in a £1million house in Notting Hill with his novelist wife Frances. As well as his income as an MP, he is a beneficiary of a trust fund which owns 15 per cent of Osborne & Little's shares.
2. Harry Mount
The 35-year- old son of another baronet, Ferdinand Mount, he read Classics at Magdalen. As well as being a cousin of David Cameron, he is also related to the novelist Anthony Powell. After working as a banker, he trained to be a lawyer at the age of 27. He then wrote a book on his two years as a pupil barrister, My Brief Career, as well as a book on Latin, Amo Amas Amat and all that - How to become a Latin lover, for which he recently received a £130,000 advance for the U.S. rights. Formerly the New York correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, he is currently a feature writer for the Daily Mail.
3. Chris Coleridge
A descendant of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the brother of Conde Nast managing director Nicholas Coleridge, and son of Lloyds of London-boss David Coleridge. Studied History at Exeter College.
With Nat Rothschild, he launched a racy publication student newspaper called Rumpus while at university which featured a topless model, a "Page 7 fella" and a guide on how to steal cars, which was frowned on by the local police.
Also featuring on the astrology page of Rumpus, wearing a wizard's costume, was George Osborne. In 2005 Coleridge, 36, founded a company called V Water which sells vitamin-infused water and now has a £1.2million turnover.
4. Lupus von Maltzahn
Schooled in Germany, he is now a management consultant for Accenture. A relative of the wealthy private banker Bruno Schroder.
5. Mark Petre
Son of the 18th Baron Petre, part of an aristocratic family who made their fortune during the dissolution of the monasteries. After Oxford he became the editor of a glossy magazine, International Homes.
In 2004 he was found dead at his family's stately home, Ingatestone Hall in Essex, while awaiting trial for driving under the influence of drugs after his Mercedes collided with a BMW. The sedative Temazepam was in his bloodstream "in excess of the therapeutic dose".
6. Peter Holmes a Court
Educated in Australia, then studied law at Oxford. He was 21 when his billionaire businessman father, Robert Holmes a Court, died in 1990 of a heart attack, aged 53.
After leaving university, as well as heading his father's investment firm, he launched a theatrical company, Back Row Productions, in London. His family's theatre group, Stoll Moss Productions, was sold to Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2001 for £87million.
Jointly owns the Australian rugby team South Sydney Rabbitohs with his close friend, Gladiator star Russell Crowe.
7. Nat Rothschild
Rothschild, 35, is in line to be the fifth Baron Rothschild.
After Eton, where contemporaries remember him as an unruly and wayward student, he studied history at Wadham College.
For many years, it was feared that Nat would self-destruct, like many other young Rothschilds in the dynasty.
In 1996, Nat's cousin Amschel hanged himself at the age of 41, while another cousin, Raphael de Rothschild, died in New York from a heroin overdose aged 23.
Now Nat has turned his life around, and is tipped to become the richest ever Rothschild. He is the heir to a £750million fortune and has made a second fortune in his own right by running the Atticus hedge fund, which manages funds worth £11billion.
Although discreet in his business deals, privately he lives the life one would associate with a Rothschild. His best friend is Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea Football Club, and he is currently rumoured to be dating the young film actress Natalie Portman.
A skilled skier, his main home is in Klosters, Switzerland. He travels between his other homes in Paris, Moscow, London, New York and Greece in his Gulfstream private jet.
8. Jason Gissing
Aged 36, he is one of the three founders of Ocado, the online grocery firm which delivers for Waitrose and now has a £300million turnover.
Reader views (2)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
So the UK is still obsessed by this stuff. I value competence and don't care what school someone attended (maybe some universities might be preferable depending upon degree subject).
The current gov is full of incompetents, if Osborne would be better, let's take a look.
- Stan, Expat
Whilst George Osbourne might seem to be a snotty nosed kid, this is one kid I prefer to Brown who seems to be driven by a belief that only he can save Britain!
Osbourne is a throwback to the altruistic politicians of the late 19th Century such as Gladstone who did so much to guide Britain along a slippery reform slope while massive social and industrial changes were taking place.
He has money? So what!
That better than being like many labour MP's whose one priority in life it to get their snouts in the corruption trough.
- Minnie Ovens, Los Angeles
