That was not a hypothetical example, but an actual one. Condescending or otherwise, I'm just repeating what I saw. I'm not putting them on a pedestal either. If this was purely hypothetical, I could have said Imperial or UCL to the same effect. The point is, more clever people often end up in powerful roles that are often chaperoned/regulated/supported by less clever people. I don't like it, but it's what I see, and I personally consider it a major problem.

Also, to say it's what's wrong with Britain is a tad hyperbolic! I've generally found my Oxford degree to be excess baggage when trying to get a job with someone who is not from Oxbridge/Ivy league - often because they have a similar attitude to yours.