Devolved elections and their implications
Following elections to Holyrood, the SNP remain the dominant political force in Scotland. The new Cabinet (slimmed down to nine Cabinet Secretaries from the previous 12) features Jenny Gilruth as the new Deputy FM and the lead on Finance & Local Government, Mairi McAllan as Education Minister, and the SNP’s former Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, as Minister for Economy, Tourism & Transport. In policy terms, the party has pledged to retain free university tuition for Scottish students, although how it might secure the financial sustainability of Scottish universities is less clear, at least for now. A joint review between the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland is due to conclude in the autumn and bring forward a framework for “a successful and sustainable future for Scotland’s universities for the next 20 years”.
The results of the Senedd election, meanwhile, saw Plaid Cymru emerge as the biggest single party in the enlarged Siambr. They will seek to govern as a minority administration, likely with some support from Welsh Labour, the Greens and the sole Welsh Liberal Democrat. Noteworthy amongst the Cabinet appointments and portfolios was the splitting up of school education and tertiary education, with the creation of a dedicated Skills & Tertiary Education ministerial role suggesting universities, colleges, skills policy and lifelong learning will receive more political attention than previously. In terms of policy, Plaid Cymru’s manifesto committed to a comprehensive review of higher education funding, as well as plans to strengthen vocational pathways and expand apprenticeships. This may lead to closer alignment between economic policy and tertiary education, as well as increased expectations around civic mission and regional growth. Plaid will also doubtless want to re-examine issues around student recruitment and graduate retention within Wales.
For a deeper dive into the parties’ election pledges in Scotland and Wales, this blog by CaSE is worth a read.
Other news in brief
- Shadow science secretary storm: The Conservatives’ shadow science secretary caused furore (£) by advocating a 20% cut in UKRI’s budget, calling for £6bn to be diverted from “nonsense subjects” towards military spending.
- British Academy president speaks out: In an interview with Research Professional (£), the president of the British Academy has said that too many decisions made about UK higher education and research are “fragmented”, and outlined her ambitions for a joined-up approach to funding the system sustainably.
- Europe’s HE challenges: A new report from The Policy Institute at KCL draws on expertise from leading higher education figures across England, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland to consider the challenges facing the university sector across Europe. Common themes included falling funding per student, a political taboo on fees, global competition, fragile dependency on international students and a shrinking graduate premium.
- KCL-Cranfield merger: In a move which will create the second largest mainstream university in UK with about 47,000 students, King’s College London will merge with Cranfield University. Under the agreement, the institutions will merge by the end of summer 2027, under the King’s College London title and branding. It also – fun fact – makes King’s College the first London university to have its own airport.