Tony Blair has been snubbed by Oxford academics who will refuse him an honorary degree after the 'elitism in education' row.

The Chancellor of Oxford University, Lord Jenkins, has claimed the Government's attack on Oxbridge was "farcical" and made it clear that it had cost the Prime Minister any chances of an accolade.

The former leader of the SDP also criticised Gordon Brown for starting the political argument, which was launched after state school pupil Laura Spence was refused a medical school place by Magdalen College. Asked in an interview, in this week's Spectator magazine, whether Mr Blair would receive an honorary degree from Oxford, Lord Jenkins - who is known to be close to the Prime Minister - said: "No, not now." And when quizzed on whether it was the elitism row which had blotted the first minister's copy book, he replied: "Oh yes, certainly. It nearly came up in his first year, but we've rather lost our nerve about politicians now."

The former Chancellor and Home Secretary also said Gordon Brown's attack on selection procedures at Oxford was "singularly ill-chosen".

He said: "The medical examiners of Magdalen are a very progressive body of men, and the phrases he used - the old-school tie, the old-boy network - it was absolutely farcical.

"If he wanted to launch a great attack, I would have thought his alma mater, Edinburgh, was a better target, since it has more Etonians than Oxford at the present time. If Mr Blair, who studied at St John's College, Oxford, is denied an honorary degree, he will not be the first Prime Minister to be rebuffed.

Baroness Thatcher was the first Oxford-educated Prime Minister to be refused an award from Dons since 1946. She reciprocated by accepting one from Cambridge, as well as raising money for the rival University.

Both have been outshone by United States President Bill Clinton, who received at honorary degree in civil law in 1994.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman shrugged off the comments, saying that he did not know whether Mr Blair wanted or expected an honorary degree, or believed one was on the way. He said: "A central tenet of the Government's philosophy is extending opportunity to all. Access to those universities should be available to all."

A Oxford University spokesman said Lord Jenkins's comment did not mean that Oxford University was ruling out ever awarding an honorary degree to Mr Blair.

She said: "The emphasis should be put on the word 'now'. The Chancellor was echoing the University's policy of not giving honorary degrees to Prime Ministers while they are still in office."