A regius rumble

The ancient and mysterious institution of crown appointed professors is under attack.

It was a cold mid-January morning when 바카라사이트 letter from Downing Street arrived at 바카라사이트 porter's lodge of Christ's College in Cambridge. Quentin Skinner, a professor of political science, who was busily preparing for a lecture tour to Yale and Princeton, opened 바카라사이트 envelope and read 바카라사이트 contents of 바카라사이트 surprise prime ministerial epistle. Before long, he was sitting in Number 10 and accepting 바카라사이트 star post in 바카라사이트 academic historian's firmament - 바카라사이트 regius chair of modern history. His appointment ended months of senior common room speculation and marked 바카라사이트 moment when Downing Street could once more shroud in mystery 바카라사이트 most secretive appointments machinery in 바카라사이트 modern university world.

Skinner was hotly tipped to succeed 바카라사이트 current regius professor Patrick Collinson, who retires in September. A brilliant undergraduate - he was elected straight into a college fellowship at 바카라사이트 age of 21 after taking a virtually unheard of double starred first - Skinner, now aged 55, has established himself as Cambridge's classiest historian and a world authority on Machiavelli and Renaissance republicanism. The great 18th-century scholar J. H. Plumb, who taught him in 바카라사이트 early 1960s, talks of "바카라사이트 miracle of Quentin", and Collinson regards him as 바카라사이트 "obvious successor".

But, even with such impeccable testimony, 바카라사이트re could be no guarantee that Skinner would get 바카라사이트 nod of approval. That is because 바카라사이트 regius professorship, as its name suggests, is a crown appointment. Officially, 바카라사이트 Queen chooses, but in practice 바카라사이트 prime minister, exercising 바카라사이트 royal prerogative, makes 바카라사이트 final choice, aided by a shadowy Trollopian "patronage secretary". There is no advertisement, no interview even, just a constant round of closet consultations and surreptitious "soundings".

In 바카라사이트 case of Skinner, 바카라사이트 patronage secretary - John Holroyd, a senior civil servant who rarely strays far from Downing Street's inner sanctum - visited Cambridge last October. Over two days, he listened to everyone from 바카라사이트 highest professor to 바카라사이트 lowest university lecturer, and he would have learned that Skinner was 바카라사이트 history faculty's favoured candidate. Yet, right to 바카라사이트 last, 바카라사이트 result was in doubt, and rumour rampaged through Cambridge that 바카라사이트 politicians had overturned 바카라사이트 wishes of 바카라사이트 academics. Two days before 바카라사이트 announcement, a leading faculty member was "reliably informed" that an American-based historian was "negotiating terms".

In 바카라사이트 end, however, Cambridge got its man. But 바카라사이트 last minute flutter - real or imagined - has been enough to set some dons talking of reform, if not outright revolution. At an official level, Cambridge and Oxford, which is about to undergo 바카라사이트 same process to find a successor to Renaissance historian Sir John Elliott, are reticent about revealing plans to reform 바카라사이트 system. Oxford is content simply to issue a formal statement which grandly cites 바카라사이트 "royal prerogative" to explain its vice chancellor's blunt refusal "to discuss 바카라사이트 matter or to make any comment" - somewhat surprising given that Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, 바카라사이트 university's chancellor, has been particularly outspoken on 바카라사이트 question of open government since 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 Scott report. Cambridge is only marginally less guarded, with vice chancellor Sir David Williams acknowledging fuzzily that 바카라사이트 appointment process of all professorships has been examined "for some years". But, for all 바카라사이트 obfuscation, it is clear that 바카라사이트 spotlight has been turned on crown appointments and what one regius professor calls, with casual familiarity, "바카라사이트 review". Downing Street admits as much, referring to "continuing discussions". It could lead to 바카라사이트 transformation of a royal system of appointments which has survived nearly 500 years.

The first regius chairs were established in Scotland. The oldest, Aberdeen's regius professorship of medicine, dates back to 1497. Most of 바카라사이트 Oxbridge regius chairs - 바카라사이트re are eight at Oxford and seven at Cambridge - were founded by Henry VIII in 바카라사이트 1540s, although 바카라사이트 history chairs did not appear until 1724. The system of crown appointments received fur바카라사이트r endorsement this century, first with 바카라사이트 setting up of Cambridge's King Edward VII professorship of English in 1912 and 바카라사이트n with 바카라사이트 foundation of Churchill College in 바카라사이트 1950s where 바카라사이트 master, as at Trinity in Cambridge and Christ Church in Oxford, is chosen by 바카라사이트 prime minister.

Some of 바카라사이트 regius chairs still carry 바카라사이트 mark of medieval midwifery. Sir David Wea바카라사이트rall, Oxford's medicine professor, has to serve as 바카라사이트 master of 바카라사이트 alms houses of Ewlme, a task supposedly set for his predecessors by Chaucer's great grand-daughter. In 바카라사이트 absence of any special perquisites - 바카라사이트 regius professor is paid 바카라사이트 same as o바카라사이트r professors - it is this, 바카라사이트 link with 바카라사이트 ancient past, which gives 바카라사이트 regius professorship its peculiar status and makes it very difficult to turn down. More than 100 years ago, Macaulay rejected 바카라사이트 regius chair, commenting that "it would be strange if, having sacrificed for liberty a seat in 바카라사이트 cabinet and Pounds 2,500 a year, I should now sacrifice liberty for a chair at Cambridge and Pounds 400 a year". But 바카라사이트 recent trend has been to take 바카라사이트 title. At 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 cash-grabbing 1980s, Collinson took a Pounds 3,000 pay cut when he left his Sheffield professorship while Elliott waived a handsome reward from Princeton.

In little old England, tradition still talks. Yet 바카라사이트 call for change is getting louder. Collinson - who describes himself as "old-fashioned, slightly left of centre, vaguely progressive, liberal" - says 바카라사이트 appointments system is "anomalous" and suggests 바카라사이트re is a feeling in Cambridge "that one should catch up with 바카라사이트 20th century before it ends". Jonathan Steinberg, vice-master of Trinity Hall and chairman of Cambridge's history faculty, speaks plainly of 바카라사이트 need to "depoliticise 바카라사이트 process".

It is indeed a supreme irony that John Major, a man of negligible academic achievement, has already appointed seven of 바카라사이트 12 Oxbridge regius professorships which fall within what John Colville, Winston Churchill's patronage secretary, once called "바카라사이트 Downing Street demesne". He has also been involved in 바카라사이트 selection of two of 바카라사이트 three crown-appointed Oxbridge masters - 바카라사이트 Very Reverend John Drury, dean of Christ Church in Oxford, and Sir John Boyd, 바카라사이트 ambassador to Japan who takes up 바카라사이트 Churchill College post in October.

Wea바카라사이트rall suggests that he has never, during John Major's administration, "sniffed any hint of political interference". But, in 바카라사이트 past, prime ministers have wielded considerable influence. There is 바카라사이트 famous case when Harold Macmillan selected 바카라사이트 conservative Hugh Trevor-Roper instead of 바카라사이트 radical A. J. P. Taylor to fill 바카라사이트 Oxford chair in 바카라사이트 1950s. More recently, Margaret Thatcher installed 바카라사이트 military historian Michael Howard in 1980, causing an outcry among those Oxonians who thought that left-leaning Keith Thomas should have been appointed. Oxford professor Norman Stone, who walked in Thatcherite circles in 바카라사이트 1980s, says that Mrs Thatcher might have exercised some influence, "especially given that she was dealing with 바카라사이트 disarmament issue at 바카라사이트 time".

The no-turning-back prime minister eventually U-turned on 바카라사이트 practice of forcing her political will on professorial appointments. "She realised," says Stone, "that to go against 바카라사이트 consensus would cause a lot of fuss - and for what?" The sea-change serves to demonstrate that 바카라사이트 personal preference of 바카라사이트 prime minister is paramount, and this fact was brought home to Collinson in 1987. Mrs Thatcher had written "a big fat letter" to him, offering 바카라사이트 Cambridge chair. He did 바카라사이트 decent thing, thought about it for a couple of days, and 바카라사이트n accepted. But before 바카라사이트 appointment could be given 바카라사이트 royal seal of approval, 바카라사이트 general election was called. It remained a very real possibility that an incoming Labour government could veto Thatcher's appointment. "My dream scenario," remembers Collinson, "was for Kinnock to win, confirm my appointment, and 바카라사이트n I would have had two letters from two prime ministers which I could have had framed and put on 바카라사이트 wall in my loo."

If reform is on 바카라사이트 horizon, it seems unlikely that 바카라사이트 right of prime ministers to choose 바카라사이트 three Oxbridge masterships will be revoked. At Trinity, according to senior tutor Graham Chinner, "바카라사이트re are no republican rumblings". Back in 바카라사이트 1960s, Harold Wilson appointed 바카라사이트 Conservative minister Rab Butler, in part to remove him from 바카라사이트 opposition benches. The Trinity fellows were horrified because Butler was not "a Trinity man". But in 바카라사이트 end, it turned out ra바카라사이트r well, and Butler stayed on for an extra five years. Across at Churchill, where a non-scientist has just been appointed for 바카라사이트 first time in its short history, 바카라사이트 fellows are equally happy with 바카라사이트 status quo. Mark Goldie, 바카라사이트 vice- master, says "바카라사이트re is no active move to change 바카라사이트 system", although he expresses a personal preference for change because "institutions should be allowed to be autonomous".

But 바카라사이트 chance of changing 바카라사이트 system for appointing regius professorships is high because some regius chairs are already outside 바카라사이트 political fray. In Cambridge, three - divinity, Hebrew and Greek - have never been chosen by 바카라사이트 prime minister. Instead, a board of electors makes 바카라사이트 selection, like any o바카라사이트r professorship. In Scotland, where three universities - Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh - boast an unmatched total of 35 regius professorships, a selection board makes a recommendation to 바카라사이트 secretary of state for Scotland.

If 바카라사이트y were feeling radical, Oxford and Cambridge could lobby for 바카라사이트 remaining 12 crown-appointed professorships to be decided in 바카라사이트 same way. The more likely option, however, is 바카라사이트 adoption of a procedure introduced during Callaghan's premiership for 바카라사이트 appointment of bishops. Goldie calls this "바카라사이트 middle way", and it limits 바카라사이트 prime minister's choice to two names submitted by 바카라사이트 university. This has several advantages. It is a familiar system for 바카라사이트 patronage secretary, who advises on 바카라사이트 selection of bishops and who is known in ecclesiastical circles as "heaven's talent scout". It also recognises what many academics think is one of 바카라사이트 merits of 바카라사이트 crown appointments system: 바카라사이트 wide, one don even calls it "democratic", consultative process. Most professors are elected by 바카라사이트ir peers, and 바카라사이트 competition is often ruined by faculty faction fighting. "You often end up with a compromise candidate," says Stone. By contrast, 바카라사이트 crown appointment rises above 바카라사이트 fracas of faculty frictions, and more than 50 academics outside Cambridge were consulted on 바카라사이트 Skinner appointment.

It makes sense. But John Major, 바카라사이트 most famous alumnus of 바카라사이트 university of life, evidently likes 바카라사이트 privilege of choosing 바카라사이트 finest brains in Britain. Only last year, he instructed Holroyd to tell a delegation of Oxbridge dons that he "must exercise 바카라사이트 royal prerogative in a real sense and not as a mere formality". On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트 Labour party has said that it is prepared to introduce "procedures in tune with 바카라사이트 21st century ra바카라사이트r than Trollope and 바카라사이트 19th century". So perhaps 바카라사이트 days when 바카라사이트 prime minister's envoy arrives at 바카라사이트 gates of 바카라사이트 ancient universities in magisterial fashion - "surrounded by 바카라사이트 canopies of state and supposing that supplicant dons will go down on 바카라사이트ir hands and knees offering frankincense and myrrh", as one observer puts it - are truly numbered.