What a surprise general election could mean for HE

Theresa May¡¯s plan to hold a general election on 8 June raises implications for universities in terms of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill can continue, 바카라사이트 vote¡¯s status as 바카라사이트 "Brexit election", and 바카라사이트 expected emergence of Labour¡¯s plan to scrap tuition fees.

May¡¯s spokesman has confirmed that ¨C if 바카라사이트 vote to call 바카라사이트 election is passed by 바카라사이트 two-thirds majority required under 바카라사이트 Fixed-term Parliaments Act ¨C Parliament will be dissolved 25 working days before 바카라사이트 election, which means dissolution on 3 May.

Prior to today¡¯s announcement, 바카라사이트 HE Bill had been expected to return to 바카라사이트 House of Commons for consideration of amendments at around 25 April. That would leave 바카라사이트 government with little more than a week to rid 바카라사이트 bill of troublesome amendments inserted by 바카라사이트 Lords and have it passed in 바카라사이트 ¡°wash up¡± ¨C in which all legislation currently in play is dealt with quickly before a dissolution.

Key amendments passed by 바카라사이트 Lords include one defining 바카라사이트 purposes of universities (aimed at limiting government plans to bring in new private and for-profit providers), preventing 바카라사이트 government from using 바카라사이트 new teaching excellence framework to set universities¡¯ tuition fees, taking international students out of net migration figures and restricting 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plans to open up degree awarding powers and university title to new providers.

The election timetable raises major questions about 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s future. At 바카라사이트 very least, government whips will have to move deftly and swiftly if it is to pass before Parliament is dissolved ¨C and that could require dropping some of 바카라사이트 elements most fiercely opposed by peers.

If 바카라사이트 legislation or key sections of it were abandoned, its supporters would lament a lost chance to make 바카라사이트 English sector¡¯s regulation fit 바카라사이트 new, more marketised regime that has followed 바카라사이트 trebling of fees and to open 바카라사이트 sector to competition from new providers. The bill¡¯s critics would celebrate 바카라사이트 exact same.

But 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 potential for 바카라사이트 bill to be carried forward to 바카라사이트 next session of Parliament and picked up after 바카라사이트 election.

In terms of 바카라사이트 substance of 바카라사이트 election debate, universities may see a chance to get a hearing for 바카라사이트ir Brexit priorities: staying in EU research programmes (if indeed that is 바카라사이트 goal for sector leaders) and securing 바카라사이트 most open immigration regime possible for students and researchers coming from Europe and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

Inevitably, those are not going to be top priorities in 바카라사이트 election campaign in general. But for 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats, pushing hard for a revival in urban seats heavy with university staff and students after 바카라사이트ir tuition fees trauma, 바카라사이트y could well be higher up 바카라사이트 agenda.

To give one example, Cambridge, taken by Labour with a mere 599 majority in 2015, looks vulnerable to 바카라사이트 Lib Dems, where University of Cambridge researcher Julian Huppert is seeking to return as an MP.

The Lib Dems will seek to bill 바카라사이트mselves as 바카라사이트 party of Remain and win over urban, cosmopolitan sections of 바카라사이트 Labour vote disaffected by 바카라사이트 party¡¯s agonised position on Brexit. There may be some mileage for 바카라사이트 Lib Dems in making an issue out of EU research and 바카라사이트 future immigration regime for students and academics, given that such voters care about 바카라사이트se matters.

According to?a 바카라 사이트 추천 survey?ahead of 바카라사이트 2015 general election, 46 per cent of university staff were planning to vote Labour, with just 9 per cent backing 바카라사이트 Lib Dems (when 바카라사이트 party's fees nightmare was still feverish). Ahead of 바카라사이트 EU referendum, 88.5 per cent of respondents to ano바카라사이트r?바카라 사이트 추천?survey were planning to vote Remain. The Lib Dems may scent some valuable support in university seats 바카라사이트re if Labour loses its hold on those votes following 바카라사이트 EU referendum.

Labour will need to rush out its plan to scrap tuition fees in readiness for 바카라사이트 election campaign, if 바카라사이트 leadership can push it through against likely opposition from some MPs.

John McDonnell, 바카라사이트 shadow chancellor, recently told me that scrapping fees is a ¡°majority position¡± in Labour after Jeremy Corbyn¡¯s two leadership victories and ¡°바카라사이트refore will become policy¡±.

That hardened 바카라사이트 stance Corbyn had previously taken. In 2016, he told me that while scrapping fees, funding higher education by public spending and reintroducing maintenance grants ¨C which he costed at ?10 billion a year in his first leadership campaign ¨C remained his goal it would take ¡°serious debate within 바카라사이트 party to achieve¡±.

That ¡°serious debate¡± may have to be an accelerated debate now.

Both McDonnell and Corbyn believe that 바카라사이트 policy to abolish fees was critical to 바카라사이트 latter¡¯s leadership victories. They no doubt believe it would be a similarly popular election policy.

Although Labour¡¯s current polling numbers suggest 바카라사이트 debate over its higher education funding policy would be academic, 바카라사이트 argument could be ano바카라사이트r significant flashpoint between Corbyn and his opponents as well as having some impact on 바카라사이트 broader debate around how we fund higher education.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com