Willetts’ No Confidence pain could be Labour’s gain

By David Barclay

When Ed Miliband was a student he ran a hugely successful rent campaign for the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU). Now it seems his old organisation is set to repay him handsomely by handing him the perfect opportunity to recharge the higher education debate which has already proved so damaging for the coalition government.

Two weeks ago OUSU followed David Willetts’ calamitous ‘off-quota places’ gaffe with a call for a motion of No Confidence in the universities minister. Now, due to Oxford’s unique governance structure, that call has not only been accepted but has become a national rallying point for academics unhappy with the government’s plans for UK universities. If the showpiece debate next Tuesday ends in humiliation for Willetts, Miliband could have the chance he needs to blow open the debate on the marketisation of higher education just as the government’s White Paper finally looks set to appear.

The furore surrounding the raising of tuition fees was only ever a small part of the battle for the future of higher education. The true centrepiece of the government’s plans has always been the introduction of a market and the unleashing of student consumerism as a force for reform. As university after university declared its intention to charge the full £9000 this spring and no market in fees emerged, it became clear that the forthcoming White Paper would have to form the focal point for the government’s final attack.

Meanwhile, however, support for the government’s reforms amongst academics has evaporated. Already dismayed by the 80% reduction in public funding for teaching, universities became increasingly worried as it emerged that the Treasury’s dodgy calculations were going to leave a hole in the government’s maths which might have to be recovered by raiding the research councils. With Willetts’ foretastes of the White Paper promising back-door entry for the rich and last-minute bargain deals for the poor, over 170 Oxford Dons decided enough was enough and signed the motion of No Confidence.

This intervention by the very Professors who taught Willetts at Christ Church College could make the political battlefield look very different to the one which allowed a relatively comfortable commons victory for the raising of the fee cap. Whereas the coalition and the media could play up the image of immature student rabbles causing trouble for the sake of it, nobody can argue that Oxford academics have the necessary expertise to critique the government’s market agenda. And whereas Ed Miliband and Labour were unable to be seen to be actively involved in the student protest movement, there will surely be no such qualms about encouraging academics up and down the country to speak their minds. If such a program spreads, Willetts could find it almost impossible to withstand a wave of dissatisfaction from the very professionals his reforms are set to impact. The signs are already good – in Cambridge a motion has been submitted to the Governing Regent House, signed by 130.

What should make the government really nervous is that we’ve seen how this scenario ends already with the NHS. There, votes of No Confidence by nurses’ and doctors’ unions have marginalised the health minister Andrew Lansley and forced the government into an embarrassing ‘listening exercise’. If higher education were to become another coalition policy basket case it would be a real coup for Labour and could open up a space for Ed Miliband to start articulating the alternative vision for Britain which he has been promising.

When the Dons of Oxford process into the historic Sheldonian Theatre next Tuesday then, they should surely be watched very closely by Labour supporters all over the country. Should the No Confidence campaigners emerge victorious it could be a late but nonetheless very valuable wedding present from Ed’s alma mater.

Visit www.noconfidence.org.uk to find out more about the No Confidence Campaign and how you can get involved.