Government in 'complete denial' over impact of university cuts, says UCU

Responding to claims in today's Guardian newspaper by the business secretary, Lord Mandelson, that slashing £900 million from the higher education budget would be 'very small in the context of overall university income' the union warned over 14,000 jobs could be put at risk.
 
In December the government revealed that it would be making extra cuts of £135m to universities, on top of the £600 million announced in the pre-budget report and previous efficiency savings.
 
University heads this week said that up to 30 universities could be forced to close as a result of the cuts and UCU estimates that over 9,000 jobs could be lost by 2013 in addition to 5,000 front line posts already identified as being 'at risk'.
 
The higher education sector is taking the biggest hit in public spending cuts and the union pointed to the fact that while Germany, France and the US had all pumped additional funding into higher education as part of their economic recovery programmes, the government cuts were putting at risk the UK's international competitiveness and chances of economic recovery.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'I am astonished that Peter Mandelson is seeking to downplay the impact of £900 million worth of cuts. Britain invests less public money in higher education than other competitor nations on average and the government is in complete denial if it cannot see the devastating effect these cuts will have on staff and students.
 
'We face the frightening prospect of universities being forced to close, thousands of staff losing their jobs and much larger class sizes. Unless the government heeds these warnings it will be impossible for the UK to remain a major player in the global knowledge economy.'