His educational beliefs were informed less by theory than by a large-minded humanism.
They carried weight because they were informed less by anger than disappointment.
However, even the brightest moments on Swimming feel measured, informed less by outright happiness than by the lightness of being.
And Milburn added in words difficult to disagree with: "Locking out a diversity of talents and aspirations makes Britain's leading institutions less informed, less representative and, ultimately, less credible than they should be".
As it points out, elitism leaves "leading institutions less informed, less representative and, ultimately, less credible than they should be", meaning they focus "on issues that are of salience only to a minority but not the majority in society".
Amiable and nonthreatening, the books are informed less by populist anti-intellectualism than by a bedrock belief that knowledge is democratic, that you too can master things — especially by ignoring those highfalutin experts who make you feel inadequate.
Alan Milburn, the Labour former cabinet minister who chairs the commission, said that, as well as being unfair, this situation was unacceptable because "locking out a diversity of talents and experiences makes Britain's leading institutions less informed, less representative and, ultimately, less credible than they should be".
"Locking out a diversity of talents and experiences makes Britain's leading institutions less informed, less representative and ultimately less credible than they should be," warned Mr Milburn in his foreword to the report.
Tell me whether you think the public is more informed, less informed, or none of the above as a result of all that gabbing?
"He or she just doesn't get it" is the ultimate insult because it means: I understand what's really going on, but you, the lesser informed, less intelligent being, are dragging us down.
