It is often said that a day is a long time in politics. Yet, the past twelve months in Westminster have felt as if someone has had their finger stuck on the ‘fast forward’ button. We’ve lived through a whirlwind of three Prime Ministers, the creation of brand new government departments including one for Science, Innovation and Technology, and a revolving door of junior ministers and responsibilities. Since 1 July 2022, the Department of Education alone has seen five different Education Secretaries (one of whom lasted only three days) and the gradual dissolution of the role of a dedicated minister for universities.
It is no surprise, then, that the higher education sector – like many others – is looking for a reset, and the upcoming General Election provides the perfect opportunity to set out for politicians from all parties what is needed to ensure future stability and success.
Achieving cut-through for higher education is not, however, going to be easy. Any future government is ultimately going to secure a mandate to tackle some of the biggest societal challenges of our time, including fixing record NHS waiting lists, solving the growing social care crisis, and controlling illegal immigration – and all of this against a backdrop of sky-high government borrowing and the rising cost of living.
The risk hanging over our sector as we head into the next General Election is clear: without the support and advocacy from our allies, universities could easily pale in significance against the long list of other priorities facing any future government. So, the challenge for our sector is ensuring that higher education is seen as a solution to these other problems, and not just an end in itself.
