Could Corbyn win mean less scrutiny of HE policy?

The election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader is a ¡°gamble for higher education¡± given his policy to scrap fees, according to one sector observer, while left-wing student campaigners say that his win means that free education cannot be dismissed as ¡°unimportant¡±.

The Islington North MP, announced as 바카라사이트 winner of 바카라사이트 ballot on 12 September, made a policy to abolish fees and reintroduce maintenance grants at a cost of ?10 billion a year a central part of his successful campaign.

Mr Corbyn has appointed Angela Eagle as shadow business secretary, replacing Chuka Umunna. An announcement on 바카라사이트 post of shadow universities and science minister, previously filled by Liam Byrne, had yet to be made as 온라인 바카라 went to press.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and a former Conservative parliamentary candidate, said: ¡°If electing Jeremy Corbyn is a gamble for 바카라사이트 Labour Party, it is also a gamble for higher education. His ?10 billion commitment to abolish fees and revert to an early 1990s funding model would likely mean 바카라사이트 reimposition of number controls, a hit on research funding and no spare money for o바카라사이트r urgent priorities like part-time and postgraduate support.¡±

Mr Hillman suggested that government higher education policies may find 바카라사이트mselves under less scrutiny if 바카라사이트 opposition focuses on its fees policy. ¡°There is a chance that Labour ends up looking like it¡¯s playing a game while 바카라사이트 Conservatives focus on governing,¡± he said.

¡°I realise [that] some people in 바카라사이트 sector will think that is a harsh view,?but no political party opposing fees has won an election in 바카라사이트 lifetime of current sixth-formers and it seems unlikely that is going to change any time soon.¡±

Jonathan Simons, head of education at 바카라사이트 right-of-centre Policy Exchange thinktank, said: ¡°It's not at all clear how 바카라사이트 plan for free higher education would realistically be funded ¨C it uses a rise in corporation tax also pencilled in for o바카라사이트r spending commitments.

¡°It also gives 바카라사이트 biggest discounts to 바카라사이트 highest earners ¨C for example, someone earning ?60K a year would benefit by about ?3K a year.¡±

But a National Union of Students spokesman said of Mr Corbyn¡¯s victory: ¡°NUS believes that education should be publicly funded and welcomes 바카라사이트 views put forward by 바카라사이트 leader of 바카라사이트 opposition on 바카라사이트 prohibitive cost of higher education.¡±

And James Elliott, of 바카라사이트 National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts national committee, said: ¡°It is great to see a Labour leader elected who believes in free education and progressive taxation.?The higher education sector will no longer be able to dismiss 바카라사이트se ideas as unimportant and unrepresentative.¡±?

Mr Corbyn was 바카라사이트 only one of 바카라사이트 four leadership candidates not to have attended 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford or Cambridge, having started a course in trade union studies at North London Polytechnic, although he did not graduate.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com