Vince Cable's list of university cuts
Vince Cable, I have just discovered, appears to have a column in the Hounslow Chronicle. This seems to be where he downloads his thoughts on the big issues of the day. In about 300 words, the pieces are punchy and readable. They aren't deep, but they are revealing about his attitudes.
Take this, from 7 June, listing out the options for university cuts.
We could try to squeeze higher fees out of students. But many already have big debts and cannot contemplate big purchases like a house until their mid-30’s.
We could try to squeeze the pay of the staff. There are some very highly paid administrators who could go. But college lecturers are not very highly paid in the main.
We could cut research but that destroys Britain’s base of ideas for the future.
We could try to make universities more efficient and flexible: shorter courses; longer terms; more part-time students. But universities are independent and I can’t order them to change (though the carrot of money helps). The staff also say they reject being ‘sweatshops’."
Turned into the language of policy, this seems to say he will:
- Carry on cutting HE places and adding FE places
- Contemplate rises in fees
- Squeeze universities to trim administration
- Look after the research councils
- Push universities towards radical options for providing cheaper undergraduate courses.
Apart from his openness on raising fees, none of this is surprising. But it's all interesting.
PS Isn't it odd that he thinks his local paper is a more sensible place to give a clear impression of his views than the House of Commons or the many platforms available to him at BIS?
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