Universities are hopeful that the appointment of a former vice-chancellor as the prime minister-in-waiting’s chief of staff means that they will have someone fighting their corner in Downing Street, but there are warnings that James Purnell might not be wholly sympathetic to the sector.
Purnell, who was vice-chancellor of the University of the Arts London (UAL) between 2020 and 2024, is expected to serve under Andy Burnham in No 10 when the former Greater Manchester mayor succeeds Keir Starmer as prime minister.
At UAL, Purnell’s time was marked by his policy work on reforming how higher education is funded in England, commissioning London Economics to model several different options for changes to the student finance system.
Writing for the Higher Education Policy Institute in 2024, Purnell noted that the current funding model “is not working”, while saying “we need more university graduates”.
With Burnham appearing keen to focus on alternative pathways to higher education, universities might view Purnell as a sympathetic voice in government.
