BBC NEWSNIGHT: Professor Les Ebdon talks student numbers and graduate tax

million+ Chair Professor Les Ebdon and the University of Bedfordshire played host to BBC Newsnight on 15 July as the programme reviewed Vince Cable’s first major speech on Higher Education as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Respnding to the Secretary of State’s clear message that money is tight for universities, Professor Les Ebdon told Newsnight: “The challenge for university finances is, if there are to be major government cuts, how are we going to fund universities and in particular at the moment the challenge is there are masses of well qualified applicants wanting to come to university and leading our economy with high levels and no money for those places.”

Commenting on Vince Cable’s announcement that he had asked the Browne review of fees and funding to consider a graduate tax, Professor Ebdon made clear that the politics are not lost on Vice Chancellors: “I suspect it is a smokescreen to take away attention from two problems that the Government has.

“One is that the Liberal Democrats went into the election firmly opposed to fees and now there is a possibility that Lord Browne’s report will suggest that fees should be raised and they all signed an NUS pledge to vote against this.”

“And also a smokescreen to hide the real crisis coming this summer with perhaps 200,000 university applicants unable to find a place at university.”