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Minister accused of ‘about-turn’ over university inquiry pledge
POLITICIANS and union chiefs have demanded an apology from a government minister after he appeared to fudge a pledge to carry out an investigation into claims of a “conspiracy” at crisis-hit London Metropolitan University.
Universities minister David Lammy said in a parliamentary debate on May 22 that “there will of course be an independent inquiry” into recent events at the Holloway-based university.
An external audit of the university last year found it had wrongly claimed £36.5million over three years for students who did not finish their courses, sparking a cash crisis and the threatened axing of 550 full-time staff posts.
But Mr Lammy’s promised inquiry has now been revealed as a fact-finding exercise commissioned by government quango the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which is investigating all universities.
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has confirmed that no new independent inquiry will be launched. Sally Hunt, the University College Union general secretary, said: “We are quite astounded by the government’s U-turn.
“The minister said there will be an inquiry, not that there was one currently under way behind closed doors. He has either misled Parliament or performed an incredible about-turn – neither action is acceptable.”
Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn are said to be pressing for an apology. |
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