More than half the MPs in the new House of Commons went to comprehensive schools, Sutton Trust research has shown.

The charity, which supports social mobility through education, said there had also been a small drop in the number of MPs who attended fee-paying schools following the election.

However, the proportion was still four times higher than that of the general population.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “The landscape of British politics changed considerably this morning.  This is reflected in the educational profile of the House of Commons where there has been an increase in the numbers of state-educated MPs.

“However, MPs are still four times as likely to have been to a fee-paying school than a state school.  If parliament is to truly represent the nation as a whole, able people from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to become MPs.”

According to the charity, 51 per cent of MPs elected to the new Parliament had a comprehensive education, compared to 49 per cent in 2015.

Of the 98-strong intake of new MPs, 67 per cent went to comprehensive school.

The research, which draws on data compiled by the Sutton Trust and public affairs consultant Tim Carr from public sources, found that 29 per cent of MPs in the new House of Commons were privately educated, compared to 32 per cent in 2015.

This compares with the 7 per cent of the wider population attending private school.

Among Conservative MPs, 38 per cent went to comprehensive school, and 45 per cent went to private schools. That represents a fall from 73 per cent privately educated Tory MPs in 1979, and 47 per cent in the last parliament.

Among Labour MPs, 67 per cent went to comprehensive school, and 14 per cent went to private schools.

And among SNP MPs, 88 per cent went to comprehensive schools, and 6 per cent were educated privately.