At the time of writing, we are still waiting to see the final ministerial line-up responsible for the portfolios pertaining to universities under Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government. As it stands, the new Secretaries of State are largely as expected, with Bridget Phillipson and Peter Kyle stepping up to lead the Department for Education and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology respectively.

But it is at the junior ministerial level that we have seen the real shocks to the system.

Big hitters

While Matt Western was widely expected to progress to universities minister, having held the role of shadow since 2021, it is former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith who was given a peerage to assume the role of minister for skills, further and higher education.

It is however not yet clear whether she will have responsibility for universities in England in their entirety, or whether she will be supported on issues such as free speech or student finance by other Commons ministers, as was the case under the last administration.

Joining Jacqui Smith in the House of Lords is former government chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, who has been parachuted into DSIT as a minister of state for his unrivalled scientific expertise.

Questions remain whether Chi Onwurah, who has shadowed the science and innovation brief in some form for well over a decade, will also be promoted.

Pros and cons

The known appointments are not without risk. Despite being a ‘big name’ in national politics, Jacqui Smith lacks the familiarity with higher education of the former shadow minister.

So, she will need to get up to speed on the details quickly, especially when facing scrutiny from the academics and former universities ministers on the Lords’ benches.

For Sir Patrick Vallance, it’s almost the opposite story. His superior command of science will soon be tested by the trade-offs and compromises typical of any ministerial position.

This time around, he won’t be immune from the politics and, as a minister of state, he will have to field questions and support the government on areas outside his expertise.

An early quick win could nevertheless be had if he sent a signal to the UK higher education community that he intends to represent the interests of all academic pursuits – as per the original meaning of the word ‘Science’ (scientia or Wissenschaft) – to reveal a more inclusive innovation department that appreciates the full knowledge spectrum, from Engineering to the Arts.

Despite being a ‘big name’ in national politics, Jacqui Smith lacks the familiarity with higher education of the former shadow minister

In-trays and outlooks

While time will tell how the new ministers handle their complex briefs, the short-term outlook for universities under the new Labour government remains mixed.

Given what Labour candidates have said about universities on the campaign trail over recent weeks, the higher education sector in England will have every hope that the new government will speak more positively about universities and their role in providing opportunities for individuals and growth.

What is less certain, however, is whether Starmer’s government will put any money where its mouth is – mainly because there isn’t any spare cash left in the public purse to play with.

Plus, there are plenty of other pressing issues for the new government to deal with, not least collapsing councils, growing NHS wait-lists and rising immigration.

Doors closing?

When it comes to Labour’s outlook on immigration, it is the new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper who will set the tone for international students’ prospects in the UK.

In the run up to the General Election, she already pledged to take a tougher stance on legal migration, with lowering net migration expected to be top of her to-do list.

While hostility towards international students is largely associated with the last government, the Labour party, while in opposition, did not rush to the sector’s defence.

 UK universities would do well, then, to continue making the case for why international education matters and highlight the benefits that international students bring to communities, both locally and across the globe.

As the new Labour government finds its feet, universities in the UK have been handed a reprieve. Although the direction of political travel is not yet clear domestically, the image of Britain and its higher education sector has just got a great deal better overseas.

When set against visa fee hikes in Australia and caps on international students in Canada – not to mention the prospect of President Trump 2.0 in the USA – UK universities certainly look like a great place to be right now.

UK university leaders should run with this and reap the rewards while they can.

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