UCU accuses government of misleading public over London Met inquiry shambles

Despite serious accusations from MPs of collusion between London Metropolitan University (LMU) and the funding body (HEFCE), the government has reversed its decision to hold an independent inquiry.
 
At a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday the Higher Education Minister, David Lammy, announced that there would be an independent inquiry looking at the failings of LMU. However, this morning the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) has said that inquiry is merely one already being undertaken by the funding council (HEFCE), which only looks at its own role in the affair.
 
At the same debate Dianne Abbott MP said she believed there was a degree of collusion between the funding council and the university over the misreporting of student numbers, which has led to the current crisis. UCU said today that MPs and the public had a right to know exactly what had happened and if LMU and the funding council have nothing to hide then they should not fear an independent inquiry.

'The minister said there will be an inquiry, not that there was one currently underway behind closed doors. He has either misled Parliament or performed an incredible about turn; neither action is acceptable.'
Sally Hunt
UCU general secretary

The union said it was 'astounded' that the government had ruled out an independent inquiry and warned the HEFCE inquiry would neither expose the root of the problems at LMU, nor allow the sector to learn lessons from the mistakes made at the institution.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Any inquiry which does not examine closely the full failings at LMU will be a wasted opportunity to provide a brighter future for its beleaguered staff and students. We are quite astounded by the government's U-turn. On Wednesday the minister said there will be an inquiry, not that there was one currently underway behind closed doors. He has either misled Parliament or performed an incredible about turn; neither action is acceptable.
 
'The government needs to conduct a transparent review in which all stakeholders are fully involved and we urge LMU to halt its redundancies plans to allow that inquiry to take place. MPs made serious allegations in Wednesday's debate and quite rightly demanded a full inquiry. If LMU has nothing to hide then why is the inquiry not happening already?'
 
The university has been hit by funding cuts and repayment demands totalling millions of pounds following inaccurate reporting of the number of students completing courses. Its funding was cut by £15million a year and a further £36.5million has to be repaid for previous years' over-funding. The university's response to the crisis was to announce plans to axe at least 550 jobs, which equates to 800 staff actually at risk (one quarter of the workforce).
 
On Thursday 7 May UCU members went on strike after the university said it was pushing ahead with a voluntary redundancy scheme that that the union argued had no strategy behind it. Students at the institution have also staged an occupation in support of their lecturers.
 
David Lammy's comment at the Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday:

Mr. Lammy: There will, of course, be an independent inquiry, and an inquiry by the National Audit Office into the financial arrangements for universities, which will have particular regard to the London Met situation. With that, I hope that my hon. Friends in what is a difficult situation in north London will understand that all of us are doing our best.