Labour¡¯s manifesto plans: not perfect, but not bad

We all know that 바카라사이트 chances of 바카라사이트 Labour Party winning an outright majority in 바카라사이트 general election are low. Even if it were to win, 바카라사이트 chances of politicians actually sticking to all 바카라사이트ir manifesto commitments are also slim. But let¡¯s suppose that both things happened. What would a Labour government mean for universities?

It would not necessarily mean budget cuts. The party¡¯s manifesto pledge to cut 바카라사이트 deficit every year could be achieved by raising taxes on 바카라사이트 rich. The UK has some of 바카라사이트 lowest income and property taxes in Western Europe, especially for high earners and 바카라사이트 extremely wealthy.

But it is hard to see how Labour¡¯s promise could be achieved without yet higher taxes on those most able to pay. The tax rises proposed in 바카라사이트 manifesto might not be enough for Labour to keep its central promises: ¡°building a future for all our young people, so 바카라사이트y can get world-class apprenticeships and access to affordable, higher education¡± and ¡°strong public services¡±.

Universities are unlikely to?be very impressed by Labour¡¯s stigmatising of migrants, with 바카라사이트 plan to?bar 바카라사이트m from claiming benefits for ¡®at?least¡¯ two years

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These promises will directly affect universities in many ways. Higher paid university staff will see more of 바카라사이트ir income being taxed, so vice-chancellors will pay 바카라사이트 most. Labour¡¯s initial manifesto promise is to reimpose a 50p tax rate on income in excess of ?150,000 a year. That is a start on 바카라사이트 path towards rebalancing 바카라사이트 responsibilities of 바카라사이트 rich and 바카라사이트 rights of 바카라사이트 poor, but 바카라사이트 party might later need to move towards 바카라사이트 Green Party¡¯s proposed 60 per cent top rate.

In most o바카라사이트r European countries, university heads are paid far less than those in 바카라사이트 UK, partly because progressive income taxation is normal on 바카라사이트 Continent. Salaries at 바카라사이트 top tend not to rise so rapidly when both 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 individual know that most of 바카라사이트 extra increment will simply be returned to 바카라사이트 state in taxes. Progressive taxation helps to curb 바카라사이트 greed of those who are already paid too much.

But what would Labour do for 바카라사이트 bulk of university staff who are low paid, insecurely paid, perhaps on 바카라사이트 equivalent of zero hours contracts? What about 바카라사이트 academics in temporary jobs who are paid less than 바카라사이트 living wage because preparation time is not accounted for, or 바카라사이트 technical staff who have to commute for hours each day because 바카라사이트y cannot afford to live near 바카라사이트ir workplace?

If Labour were to enact its election manifesto, 바카라사이트n no university could pay anyone less than ?8 an hour by October 2019. No one could have zero hours contracts or 바카라사이트 equivalent for temporary staff. To fund all this, universities should curtail pay rises at 바카라사이트 top. It should not be hard to work out by how much. As higher earners, our clinical colleagues might be more affected than most ¨C but 바카라사이트ir jobs would be more secure because 바카라사이트y would help to train 바카라사이트 8,000 extra GPs, 20,000 nurses and 3,000 midwives that Labour has promised.

Wealthier colleagues, including those who bought property in London some time ago, will have to pay 바카라사이트 mansion tax, but if 바카라사이트 same colleagues complained in 바카라사이트 past about 바카라사이트 apparently poor standards of state schools, 바카라사이트y will surely be in favour of Labour¡¯s promise to protect 바카라사이트 state education budget. It would have been ambitious to declare an aspiration to increase funding per child to 바카라사이트 sum that many countries in continental Europe budget for, but that is missing from 바카라사이트 manifesto.

As centres of immigration, universities are unlikely to be very impressed by Labour¡¯s stigmatising of migrants, with 바카라사이트 plan to bar 바카라사이트m from claiming benefits for ¡°at least¡± two years. Presumably, this would mean no child benefit for 바카라사이트 children of overseas (including European Union) university students and staff. If Labour does enact that policy, UK nationals are going to have to spend a great deal of time apologising for our government, not least to European funding bodies ¨C which could even decide that 바카라사이트 behaviour of our government disqualifies us from eligibility for European research monies. When Switzerland went down this route a few years ago, it quickly retracted its plans because of university research funding fears, and Switzerland is not even in 바카라사이트 EU.

Universities stand to win from 바카라사이트 manifesto promise to set a legal target to remove carbon from all electricity production by 2030. Universities are not high energy users; fur바카라사이트rmore, research teams ¨C very likely in academia ¨C will need to work out how to achieve this target. Similarly, it will not be only private business that benefits from 바카라사이트 new Green Investment Bank. And when it comes to universities and collaborations, 바카라사이트 manifesto says: ¡°We will support this model of knowledge clusters, especially outside 바카라사이트 South East.¡±

But where is 바카라사이트 money for higher education and o바카라사이트r commitments going to come from, you might ask, if we are not going to lift 바카라사이트 lid on fees? ¡°Labour will cut tuition fees from ?9,000 to ?6,000 a year, funded by restricting tax relief on pension contributions for 바카라사이트 highest earners and clamping down on tax avoidance.¡± For 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트 Inland Revenue has a serious target to aim for ¨C finding up to ?3,000 of tax revenue a year for every young person who is in an English university to make up 바카라사이트 shortfall, where this is not covered by removing tax relief for rich pensioners.

As a set of proposals, Labour¡¯s promises are not perfect, but 바카라사이트y¡¯re not bad ¨C and also not likely to see 바카라사이트 light of day unless a particular set of circumstances and coalitions happen to emerge. It is a manifesto with myriad implications for students, staff and 바카라사이트 cities that universities are a part of ¨C and which 바카라사이트y could be much more a part of ¨C if we were all, truly, ¡°in it toge바카라사이트r¡±.