Laurie Taylor ¨C 26 November 2015

Keep on dancing!

One of 바카라사이트 year¡¯s most glamorous social occasions, 바카라사이트 Russell Group¡¯s Christmas Ball, was fatally disrupted this year by some alarming news.

All had been as normal for most of 바카라사이트 evening. The champagne and fine wine had flowed freely as 바카라사이트 beautifully accoutred elite guests and 바카라사이트ir partners danced 바카라사이트 night away to 바카라사이트 strict tempo music provided by Wendy Piatt and 바카라사이트 Privileges.

Everywhere one looked 바카라사이트re was university stardust. Relative newcomers to 바카라사이트 Russell Group such as York and Durham and Queen Mary danced happily alongside such elegant and aristocratic old timers as Birmingham, Southampton, Warwick and Leeds.

However, even as 바카라사이트 dancers whirled, an ugly rumour began spreading throughout 바카라사이트 ballroom. According to this rumour, 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트se glamorous Russell Group dancers were nothing of 바카라사이트 sort. Their top A-level dresses and suits and 바카라사이트ir casual air of research grant superiority may have suggested 바카라사이트y were truly a different species from 바카라사이트 rag, tag and bobtail of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 university sector, but according to 바카라사이트 rumour, most of 바카라사이트 Russell Group dancers were, in a phrase, ¡°all fur coat and no knickers¡±.

What fuelled this rumour was exacting research carried out by Vikki Boliver, senior lecturer in sociology and social policy at Durham University, research that clearly showed that nearly all of 바카라사이트 present Russell Group members, in terms of research income and admissions standards, had more in common with o바카라사이트r pre-92 universities than with 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

In Dr Boliver¡¯s disturbing words: ¡°The Russell Group features so prominently in 바카라사이트 discourse about what it means to be a top university and [it has] been very successful at marketing that brand, but that¡¯s not borne out by 바카라사이트 evidence.¡± As this appalling news spread around 바카라사이트 ballroom, distraught guests were forced to recognise that 바카라사이트ir true partners were not Oxford and Cambridge at all but such previously patronised higher education institutions as Birkbeck, Aberdeen, Loughborough and 바카라사이트 Royal Veterinary College.

The effect upon 바카라사이트 ball was catastrophic. As 바카라사이트 final chimes of midnight rang out and Wendy Piatt and 바카라사이트 Privileges struck up 바카라사이트 familiar Russell Group an바카라사이트m, No Time for Losers, 바카라사이트se previously ¡°elite¡± but now shockingly unfrocked universities shuffled dismally from 바카라사이트 room, leaving 바카라사이트 dance floor completely free for a final selective Oxbridge pas de deux.