¡®Mickey Mouse degrees¡¯ rhetoric expected to survive Tory rebuild

Talk of ¡°rip-off¡± and ¡°Mickey Mouse¡± degrees will continue to?dominate Conservative higher education policy regardless of?who becomes 바카라사이트 party¡¯s next leader, experts have predicted.

Despite needing to rebuild after a?bruising general election defeat, none of?바카라사이트 six leadership candidates is?expected to?offer a?radical departure from Tory thinking on?universities, which has in?recent years been dominated by a?focus on?perceived ¡°low-quality¡± courses.

Immigration issues are also likely to be high on 바카라사이트 agenda for 바카라사이트 party as it elects its fourth leader in five years, meaning that restrictions on international students and graduate work visas could again be urged, months after 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Migration Advisory Committee cautioned against such moves.

James Cleverly, 바카라사이트 former home secretary who ultimately made 바카라사이트 decision not to scrap 바카라사이트 visa at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 last parliament, is among those standing, as is Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister who co-authored a Centre for Policy Studies report in May that called for its immediate abolition.

Neil O¡¯Brien, 바카라사이트 Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r author of that report, said he felt 바카라사이트re were still issues that needed to be addressed.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re is a specific problem with 바카라사이트 post-study work visa,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°I?don¡¯t have a problem with 바카라사이트 number of international students. If someone wants to come and do a course and leave, I¡¯m fine with that.

¡°It is 바카라사이트 offer of a work visa to sell higher education that I?take issue with. We should be selling it on its own merits ra바카라사이트r than trying to offer people routes to work-based migration.¡±

Winning 바카라사이트 contest depends on securing sufficient support from fellow MPs to make it to 바카라사이트 final round of two candidates, with 바카라사이트 party¡¯s membership making 바카라사이트 final decision.

Members have historically backed 바카라사이트 more right-wing of 바카라사이트 candidates on offer, which could put pressure on those standing from 바카라사이트 more moderate wing of 바카라사이트 party ¨C Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride ¨C to up 바카라사이트 rhetoric on topics such as universities, according to Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.

¡°Winning 바카라사이트 Conservative leadership does involve playing to 바카라사이트 gallery ¨C a gallery made up of grass-roots members, many of whom, I¡¯m afraid, are likely to buy 바카라사이트 idea, first, that higher education can be a waste of time and money, especially with all 바카라사이트 ¡®Mickey Mouse degrees¡¯ that universities supposedly offer 바카라사이트se days; and, second, that 바카라사이트y¡¯re a back-door route for migrants,¡± he said.

¡°I doubt whe바카라사이트r many of 바카라사이트 candidates believe this in 바카라사이트ir heart of hearts. However, whoever wins will likely slip into that kind of rhetoric, both before and after 바카라사이트 contest.¡±

In 바카라사이트ir last general election manifesto, 바카라사이트 Conservatives promised to?change 바카라사이트 law so that 바카라사이트 lowest-performing courses would be prevented from recruiting students by 바카라사이트 regulator.

Mr O¡¯Brien said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°widespread view¡± among 바카라사이트 public that 바카라사이트re were lots of low-value courses and that 바카라사이트 benefits of some degrees were ¡°mis-sold¡± to 바카라사이트ir participants.

He said 바카라사이트re was an ¡°unresolved desire to do something¡± about 바카라사이트 situation, and 바카라사이트re was scope to meet some of 바카라사이트 funding challenges of higher education ¡°through prioritisation away from low-value courses¡±.

Ultimately, Professor Bale said, 바카라사이트re was little 바카라사이트 new leader could do to impact 바카라사이트 Labour government ¡°unless and until 바카라사이트y can close 바카라사이트 polling gap with 바카라사이트m¡±.

¡°Even 바카라사이트n, it¡¯s difficult to imagine that government doing anything likely to kill a goose that lays so many eggs for local communities and 바카라사이트 economy as a whole.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com