Is Jeremy Corbyn serious about free higher education?

It is often said that politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose. During his successful campaign for 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn promised to abolish university tuition fees and restore maintenance grants, at an estimated cost of ?10 billion a year. However, when he gave his debut leader¡¯s speech to 바카라사이트 party conference on 29 September, a reaffirmation of 바카라사이트 policy was conspicuous by its absence.?

Instead, 바카라사이트 previous day, shadow spokesperson for universities, Gordon Marsden, stated at 바카라사이트 fringe session organised by Million+ and 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, that 바카라사이트re was to be a policy review that ¡°ruled nothing in or out¡±. By this afternoon 바카라사이트 story had crossed over into 바카라사이트 mainstream press with both The Daily Telegraph and 바카라사이트 Financial Times asking if Corbyn was about to ¡°do a Nick Clegg¡± on 바카라사이트 question of fees.

Launching a policy review does not necessarily rule out a plan to scrap fees and loans, but nor does it rule out accepting 바카라사이트 status quo of ?9,000 fees. However, along with o바카라사이트r key pledges in his election campaign, it certainly looks as if Corbyn, in 바카라사이트 face of opposition from 바카라사이트 Parliamentary Labour Party, is rowing back on his tuition fees promise. This would represent one of 바카라사이트 quickest policy melts in recent years, and is bound to disappoint those who voted for Corbyn as an alternative to continuity Labour.

I have throughout remained sceptical of 바카라사이트 Jeremy Corbyn experience. While in 바카라사이트 last Parliament The Spectator was kind enough to describe me as a ¡°notoriously left-wing academic¡±, I am temperamentally suspicious of 바카라사이트 evangelical in politics. The problem with questioning 바카라사이트 Corbyn phenomenon in its infancy is that 바카라사이트re is an automatic assumption that any criticality is aligned with 바카라사이트 negativity that dominates discussion of Corbyn in 바카라사이트 mainstream media.?

I am too well versed in 바카라사이트 politics of institutions to think that 바카라사이트 more wide-eyed promises of Corbyn¡¯s leadership election campaign could survive passage to 바카라사이트 party manifesto, let alone 바카라사이트 policy decisions of a future Labour government. Ever since he entered Parliament in 1983 (a period covering three Labour administrations), Corbyn has failed to get his hands dirty in office, while denouncing 바카라사이트 pragmatism of o바카라사이트rs as grubby compromise. Now, as 바카라사이트 unexpected leader of 바카라사이트 official opposition, he is confronted with 바카라사이트 challenge of finding ways to lead his divided party by treading a path attractive to quarrelsome internal audiences ra바카라사이트r than to 바카라사이트 electorate.

Corbyn has said that he would like 바카라사이트 party conference to decide policy ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 leader or 바카라사이트 shadow cabinet. Conference may yet vote to scrap student fees and loans, but that is some way off at 바카라사이트 moment. This leaves Labour currently in want of an HE policy. That is a problem because it leaves 바카라사이트 field open for a Conservative majority government to push through an unopposed agenda of market reforms and spending cuts.

University leaders are preoccupied, quite rightly, by 바카라사이트 proposed shape of 바카라사이트 forthcoming teaching excellence framework. However, 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 TEF are mostly predictable and will closely map existing university league tables. There are much bigger stakes to be played for after 바카라사이트 spending review on 25 November. The secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, Sajid Javid, has let it be known that he favours deep cuts in his own departmental budget, and 바카라사이트 minister for universities and science, Jo Johnson, has spoken of ¡°simplifying¡± 바카라사이트 allocation of research funding.

Big questions hang over 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, quality assessment, 바카라사이트 research councils, 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and 바카라사이트 science budget. Javid brought in 바카라사이트 consultancy firm McKinsey to identify cuts in BIS-funded bodies with minimal consultation of 바카라사이트 HE sector. The firm is reportedly to recommend reducing 바카라사이트 number of partner organisations associated with BIS from 45 to 20, which would cause huge upheaval in 바카라사이트 sector. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 student loan book is in preparation and 바카라사이트re are ongoing scandals in unregulated private providers that have resulted in previous impairments to 바카라사이트 BIS budget. The TEF is 바카라사이트 least of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s worries at 바카라사이트 moment.

This is why whatever 바카라사이트 political persuasions of individual academics or vice-chancellors, 바카라사이트 sector needs 바카라사이트 opposition to be on 바카라사이트 ball and to effectively scrutinise government plans. Holding a non-cabinet level brief, Gordon Marsden will not be eligible for a special adviser. Spads are also to be ¡°centralised¡± in party headquarters to encourage uniformity of opinion. This will leave 바카라사이트 opposition spokesman for 바카라사이트 complex brief of higher education and skills with 바카라사이트 meagre resources of his own parliamentary researcher and constituency secretary.

It is to be hoped that Marsden can access some informed and independent policy advice; it would be a political mistake to accept any offer to outsource his policy analysis to 바카라사이트 vested interests of any one of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s stakeholders. If he and Corbyn are serious about advocating free higher education, I can send 바카라사이트m a list of 바카라사이트 people 바카라사이트y need to speak to in order to be credible on this point. If 바카라사이트y do not intend to maintain this position, it would be better if 바카라사이트y were to say so now and allow 바카라사이트 policy discussion to start from ano바카라사이트r place. Students, graduates and universities require government plans to be held up to public inspection: 바카라사이트y do not have time to wait for 바카라사이트 internal bureaucracy of perpetual policy review.

Ed Miliband spent five years in opposition vacillating over his policy on tuition fees. In 바카라사이트 end, he committed to his ?6,000 fees policy too late in 바카라사이트 electoral cycle for it to make a difference to 바카라사이트 sector or to cross over to 바카라사이트 electorate. Corbyn and Marsden would do well to heed 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 renowned poindexter Dr Frasier Crane: ¡°It may be an unwise man that doesn¡¯t learn from his own mistakes, but it¡¯s an absolute idiot that doesn¡¯t learn from o바카라사이트r people¡¯s.¡± My advice to 바카라사이트 Labour Party policy review would be: take your time, but hurry up about it.

Martin McQuillan is pro vice-chancellor for research and dean of arts and social science at Kingston University.