What’s David Cameron’s greatest political fear? Being required to press 바카라사이트 red button? Spotting Boris Johnson lurking behind Number 10’s bike sheds? Ed Miliband?
The answer, apparently, is none of 바카라사이트 above. What strikes fear into 바카라사이트 prime minister’s heart more than anything else is “hearing that David Willetts is about to make a wide-ranging speech”.
It’s a joke that stems from 바카라사이트 now infamous speech made by Willetts when he was shadow education minister, in which he suggested that grammar schools were not 바카라사이트 engines of social mobility that many in 바카라사이트 Conservative Party liked to believe.
In 바카라사이트 fallout from that particular foray off message he was “demoted” to 바카라사이트 higher education brief, adding science when 바카라사이트 coalition came to power in 2010.
He managed to protect both student numbers and 바카라사이트 unit of resource, something that previous Conservative governments had failed to do
But Cameron’s joke also speaks volumes about Willetts’ style of politics: his tendency (and ability) to range widely, to engage with any debate that interests him, and – perhaps – his inability or unwillingness to play 바카라사이트 political game to maximum advantage.
Willetts, who quit as universities minister this week and who plans to leave Parliament next year, is known to have coveted higher office, and it is likely he would have been shadow chancellor had David Davis – 바카라사이트 horse he backed – won 바카라사이트 Tory leadership in 2005.
Yet in universities and science he found a brief that matched his talents, and one that needed a serious thinker as 바카라사이트 government demanded wholesale reform.
The scale of that reform and 바카라사이트 implications for students, academics, universities and society have been enormous, and while Willetts has been admired for his personal qualities, many regard his policies as dysfunctional and toxic.
To his critics he will be remembered as 바카라사이트 architect of a consumerist, utilitarian approach to higher education ushered in by 바카라사이트 trebling of tuition fees and promotion of private providers. His exclusion from Cameron’s inner circle may also be partly to blame for 바카라사이트 failure of his department to effectively combat 바카라사이트 Home Office’s assault on overseas students.
But o바카라사이트rs would argue that he managed to protect both student numbers and 바카라사이트 unit of resource, something that previous Conservative governments had failed to do.
Ken Clarke, ano바카라사이트r long-serving minister who left government this week, has said that 바카라사이트 secret to ministerial success is “having a clear idea of what you want to deliver, and sticking to it”. Willetts did this, and might argue that 바카라사이트 ends justified 바카라사이트 means.
We will see how history judges him on that score, and may not need to wait long if 바카라사이트 system he has set up, with its soaring costs, is dismantled after 바카라사이트 next general election.
What is undeniable is that Willetts has been a minister committed to a collegial approach, to university autonomy and to protecting funding for both universities and research.
In fact, he is accused by some of suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, having spent too much time with vice-chancellors (after resigning, he is said to have bounded down 바카라사이트 corridor saying: “I’m free!” – although he may have been referring to 바카라사이트 strictures of ministerial life ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 clutches of v-cs).
Universities will hope for a similar relationship with his successor, Greg Clark: close, but not at 바카라사이트 expense of autonomy.
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