UK calls general election – what does it mean for universities?

The announcement that the UK will hold a general election on 4 July presents the higher education and research sectors with an opportunity to lobby politicians to commit to fixing what is seen by many as a broken system.

Manifestos from sector groups listing potential priorities for a new government have already begun to appear, with hopes high that the vote will lead to a reset in relations after a bruising few years.

But the decision to go to the polls also has several immediate impacts, not least because the election restrictions on civil servants and public bodies – known as purdah – will bring much of government business to a halt. Here, we assess what the calling of the election means for the sector and the outgoing government’s priorities.

Graduate visa changes

Thursday 23 May had long been pencilled in as a key date for the UK sector. The release of quarterly migration statistics was being seen as a crunch point in the debate over whether the two-year graduate visa should be retained in its current form. It had been feared that the government would decide to scrap or reform the visa in response to the figures, despite the publication of last week’s Migration Advisory Committee report, which cautioned against changes.

This became less likely after Rishi Sunak’s stance appeared to soften in recent days under heavy lobbying from members of his Cabinet. Reports suggested he favoured acting on international recruitment agents and other tweaks rather than a wholesale rearrangement of the post-study work rules.

Following the publication of the figures that showed steep drops in the number of visas granted to international students after changes to the rules on bringing dependants were brought in, the Home Office has gone ahead and announced limited changes to this effect, while leaving open the prospect of returning to the graduate route in future.

But this will now become a matter for the party’s manifestos. Here, all eyes will also be on what Labour says. It has been felt previously that, if changes were made pre-election, the party would be reluctant to reverse them should it come to power to avoid appearing “soft” on immigration. But it seems less likely it will advocate for wholesale reform off its own bat.

Sexual misconduct and harassment

Only a few weeks ago, Mr Sunak and his education secretary, Gillian Keegan, were promising the Office for Students’ long-awaited response to a consultation on sexual misconduct and harassment held more than a year ago was imminent. Purdah may put paid to this, leaving the sector hanging for a few months longer.

The regulator had asked for views on whether it should impose a new condition of registration on providers and if institutions should be required to keep a register of staff-student relationships, which campaigners said did not go far enough. The issue has taken on renewed significance because of new free speech duties, also being overseen by the regulator, with institutions calling for more guidance on how to uphold both in tandem.

New UKRI chief

Dame Ottoline Leyser, the current chief executive of UK research and innovation, confirmed she would not seek a second term in the role back in January. The timetable for appointing her successor pencilled in interviews to be held around 31 May. The process is being led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Times Higher Education has asked for clarification on what effect the election will have. Dame Ottoline’s time in post stretches into next year but any delays in making the appointment could leave the body without a leader for a period. Which party is in charge while the process is carried out could also arguably have a bearing on who is eventually appointed.

Parliamentary inquiries

Parliament is sitting until the end of the week and any non-controversial pieces of legislation could still be passed if the government and opposition can agree a consensus. While there are no significant higher education bills on the table, lots of parliamentary business affecting universities has not been concluded.

See, for example, the Education Committee’s inquiry into last year’s marking and assessment boycott which began in November 2023. While the call for evidence ended in February, no final report has been published. The same committee recently began an inquiry into international students at English universities. The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee is also in the midst of an inquiry into the UK’s future skills needs.

Long-running issues that never quite found their way into legislation – such as minimum entry requirements – will also be shelved, for now.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com