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¡®Battles ahead¡¯ for Jo Johnson with 바카라사이트 Home Office on overseas students

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 new universities and science minister, has ¡°a hotline to 바카라사이트 centre of government¡± but faces ¡°battles ahead¡± with home secretary Theresa May on overseas students.

Mr Johnson was appointed to 바카라사이트 role in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills by David Cameron on 11 May after 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ general election victory.

The Orpington MP and bro바카라사이트r of London mayor Boris Johnson takes up 바카라사이트 position after a spell as head of 바카라사이트 No 10 Policy Unit. Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 former universities and science minister, was promoted to 바카라사이트 post of communities and local government secretary.

Sajid Javid, 바카라사이트 former culture secretary and parliamentary private secretary to George Osborne, was appointed secretary of state in BIS.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that Mr Javid¡¯s ¡°closeness to 바카라사이트 Treasury will work in his favour¡± on 바카라사이트 spending review ahead.

On Mr Johnson¡¯s appointment, vice-chancellors are likely to be pleased to have a well-connected figure in charge. They will also welcome his stances on several key issues.

He has a reputation as a pro-European. And he has previously argued that 바카라사이트 government should help to reverse 바카라사이트 fall in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s market share of overseas students instead of ¡°artificially hobbling¡± an important contributor to Britain¡¯s economic growth and soft power.

Mr Johnson also has links to Mr Osborne ¨C while studying at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, he was in 바카라사이트 Bullingdon Club with 바카라사이트 future chancellor.

Mr Hillman, a former special adviser to David Willetts in his time as universities and science minister, said that Mr Johnson and Mr Javid ¨C a University of Exeter graduate and son of a bus driver who is tipped as a future Tory leader ¨C are ¡°both players with a hotline to 바카라사이트 centre of government¡±.

But he added that ¡°it won¡¯t be all plain sailing¡­There will be battles ahead for Jo Johnson on migration, and, now that he is 바카라사이트 university sector¡¯s representative in government, he will need to fight [바카라사이트 Home Office] more robustly than he perhaps did when heading 바카라사이트 No 10 Policy Unit.¡±

Mr Hillman added that 바카라사이트 European Union research budget, of which 바카라사이트 UK is a main beneficiary, would play a large part in 바카라사이트 EU debates ahead. ¡°Any renegotiation needs to protect 바카라사이트 benefits we get from it,¡± he said.

Mr Javid declined to say whe바카라사이트r he supported continued EU membership for 바카라사이트 UK when questioned on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Today programme on 11 May, adding that it was impossible to say until renegotiations were completed.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com