REFORM UK’s attacks on universities have sparked concern among Scottish academics who warned the party’s war on higher education would be “punishing” to their deindustrialised target seats.
The party has hit out at “worthless degrees” and its home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf recently threatened to “defund” Bangor University in Wales.
Its recent appointment of Suella Braverman as education spokesperson has been a cause of alarm after she launched a blistering attack on higher education institutions.
In comments reported earlier this month by FE Week, she said: “To those universities that have descended into hotbeds of cancel culture, antisemitism and which survive thanks to the case foreign students and keep conning young people into worthless degrees, Reform is putting you on notice.”
The party is also allied internationally with Donald Trump who has threatened to withhold funding from several US universities and is suing Harvard for $1 billion in damages.
Dr Ewan Gibbs, an expert in economic and social history at Glasgow University, said that Reform’s war on universities could be economically devastating if they sought to shut down institutions.
He told The National: “I think universities have been a good investment for Britain. I think there is still a graduate premium but even beyond that, the activity that universities generate is significant and important in its own right.
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“Academic research broadly defined is an area that the UK still excels in, its university sector is recognised as world leading. We’d effectively, in my view, giving up important, hard-earnt economic advantages if we go on the downsizing mission, disinvestment ambition that these people want to fulfil.
“And we’d be punishing places that have often already suffered.”
Among those would be places where Reform hope they could make inroads at the upcoming elections across the UK this May, Gibbs argued.
He said: “If we look at former industrial towns and cities, across Scotland, England and Wales were Reform are hopeful of winning or picking up significant support, you’re looking at places like Paisley or Swansea or Wolverhampton that all have universities. Often you’re looking at places where universities are among the top employers, maybe the largest employers after the core public sector.
“Universities provide jobs for people with a vast range of qualifications. They also bring footfall and economic activity into these towns and cities, that’s often missed out as well. We hear a lot about the death of the high street but if you think about businesses that are open in places that have universities are an important factor in making that happen.”
And the party’s aggressive stance on higher education was contradictory to its stated aim of revitalising UK manufacturing, the academic added.
Gibbs said: “Reform talks about reindustrialising Britain and I think it really underestimates how many graduates that would take.
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“Modern manufacturing sectors rely on highly skilled people, qualified to university level very often or sectors that collaborate closely with universities.”
Mary Senior, Scotland official with the University and Colleges Union, told The National Reform offered nothing to students or staff but “quick soundbites”.
She added: “Their latest pronouncements prove this and confirm our bigger fears that Reform will be a destructive force for education, for universities and for the economy.
“The Reform party is also contradictory and inconsistent, so it is difficult to understand exactly what their policies are. For example, Suella Braverman’s attack on universities and education, contrasts with their Scottish leader, Malcolm Offord’s recent praise for the Scottish Enlightenment, Scotland’s scientists, inventors, philosophers and economists.
"Universities are fundamental to this innovation, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and research.”
She said that Scottish universities were “globally recognised for their world leading teaching, research and knowledge exchange”, adding: “It’s downright hypocrisy from Reform to claim to be patriotic when they are talking down one of our best national assets. And it is economic illiteracy for Reform to be asking for power in Scotland while its UK education spokesperson is openly seeking to decimate one of the key drivers of our economy.
“Braverman’s aim to reduce student numbers would be another act of self-harm, when we already have skills shortages. We need to be investing in post-16 education to deliver the skilled work force for our economy. Investing in universities is the solution not the problem.”
Reform UK were approached for comment.
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