I agree - i don't think being a Solicitor is at all inferior to the Bar. In fact, many Solicitors are as specialised in certain fields as Barristers. The only reason firms continue to use Barristers is because of their advocacy skills, and because 99% of the time it is cheaper to hire a Barrister than commit their own staff to a hearing.
With regards to the degree issue: in reality, only a high 2:1 from a respected university is going to cut it for the big chambers. This isn't because of snobbery, its because most candidates who apply for pupilage & tenancy offer incredibly prestigious academic credentials. Just take a look at how many juniors there are with postgrad qualifications - even PhD's! The Bar is, on the whole, a LOT more difficult a profession to get into, but that doesn't make Barristers more worthy of prestige than Solicitors.