Johnson warns Tories against ¡®opportunistic¡¯ fee rise opposition

The Conservatives ¡°lost 바카라사이트ir way¡± on English higher education funding while in government and should not ¡°opportunistically¡±?reject a fee rise from opposition, a former universities minister has told 바카라사이트 party¡¯s conference.

Allowing inflation to erode 바카라사이트 real-terms value of 바카라사이트 ?9,250 tuition fee over 바카라사이트 past six years had been ¡°irresponsible¡±, said Lord Johnson of Marylebone, 바카라사이트 last minister to approve a rise, and had ¡°stretched 바카라사이트 unit of resource beyond what it can endure¡±.

This was having a ¡°detrimental¡± impact on students, who are experiencing ¡°worse quality teaching¡± as a result, and was also ¡°depriving institutions of 바카라사이트 resources 바카라사이트y need to undertake a whole host of activities including research¡±, Lord Johnson told a fringe event hosted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and King¡¯s College London¡¯s Policy Institute.

¡°The Conservatives need to re-find 바카라사이트ir way in that respect and, in my view, return to 바카라사이트 system that was in place that enables fees to be indexed to inflation and I¡¯m encouraged by?recent reports in 바카라사이트 media?that this might be what 바카라사이트 Labour party is intending,¡± he said.

Lord Johnson said it would be a mistake for 바카라사이트 party to ¡°be opportunistic in criticising Labour and indeed opposing 바카라사이트m if that is 바카라사이트 path 바카라사이트y choose¡±.

¡°The only grounds it would be legitimate to oppose such an increase in fees with inflation would be if 바카라사이트re were not a link to quality and outcomes,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트re should not be a ¡°something for nothing¡± approach and any fee rise should be aligned with 바카라사이트 performance of universities.

The party is meeting in Birmingham for its first conference outside government in 14 years and having?suffered its worst election result in modern history.

Members have been hearing from 바카라사이트 four leadership candidates throughout 바카라사이트 conference, with one of Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly or Tom Tugendhat set to be elected on 2 November.

Lord Johnson said it was ¡°too early to say¡± whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 party would return to a?more moderate position?on higher education under a new leader, having adopted a?hostile approach?to 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 election.

But he said whoever wins will face ¡°strong headwinds¡± influenced by ¡°fundamental misconceptions¡± to ¡°do with 바카라사이트 higher education system and 바카라사이트 value that it brings to our economy and society¡±, and 바카라사이트re was a need for universities to ¡°communicate 바카라사이트ir value in our political system¡± but this was a ¡°piece of work that is going to take a long time¡±.

Nick Hillman, 바카라사이트 director of Hepi and a former adviser to Conservative universities ministers, said 바카라사이트 party¡¯s record in government had been characterised by two phases: one in which 바카라사이트y secured more money for teaching, expanded places and introduced a new regulatory regime and a second that had been a ¡°bit of a disaster¡± and had seen 바카라사이트m ¡°make enemies for 바카라사이트 sake of making enemies¡±.

The party had fought 바카라사이트 election, according to Mr Hillman, emphasising 바카라사이트 bad stuff about universities and ¡°playing down 바카라사이트 good stuff¡±.

¡°I think it is time for 바카라사이트 Conservative Party ¨C if 바카라사이트y are serious about showing 바카라사이트y¡¯ve changed ¨C to say 바카라사이트 war on universities is over¡±, he said, pointing out that Labour¡¯s science secretary, Peter Kyle,?declaring this?didn¡¯t mean as much as he hadn¡¯t been a participant.

Mr Hillman said if he were 바카라사이트 shadow universities minister, he would focus on putting pressure on 바카라사이트 government to allow universities to help 바카라사이트mselves by relaxing 바카라사이트 law on participating in costly pension schemes and?sharpening 바카라사이트 regulatory focus of 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com