The Labour Party took energy as soon as once more in the UK as Starmer gained a decisive victory on July 4 after 14 years of his occasion being in the political wilderness beneath Conservative rule – and brings a new cabinet in tow.
Stakeholders have broadly welcomed his ascension to Number 10, hoping it spells a interval of larger collaboration between the authorities and the worldwide schooling sector.
Labour’s stance on worldwide schooling was barely talked about in the manifesto it launched forward of the election – however speak inevitably turned to the new authorities at the opening plenary of final week’s BUILA convention in Birmingham.
[Yvette Cooper] has an enormous job in authorities of taking the onerous line on migration
Jessica Lister, Public First
Former universities minister Lord David Willetts revealed he’s supporting Universities UK in penning a new whitepaper outlining proposals from the increased schooling sector to the new cabinet.
And Jessica Lister, affiliate director of the thinktank Public First, outlined the “new cast of characters” in Starmer’s cabinet and what affect they may wield on the sector.
Here’s her breakdown of the whole lot it’s essential learn about the key new cabinet members.
Name: David Lammy
Position: Foregin Secretary
What do we learn about him?
The Tottenham MP has been a Labour mainstay for years now, first taking his seat in Parliament in the yr 2000.
Lister famous that he has plentiful expertise to tackle the portfolio.
“He spent two years shadowing the role, and he spent a lot of that time overseas and meeting his foreign counterparts. He’s very well prepared for his brief,” she mentioned.
And she mentioned Lammy is understood for his “progressive realism”.
“I think it’s a view of taking British human rights and all the best bits of the UK overseas, but with an eye on the reality of world and the global complexities of global security,” she defined.
What can we count on?
The new international secretary has “pledged to overhaul the UK’s relationships with China”, Lister mentioned – highlighting that it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how the relationship between China and the UK develops over the coming months.
Lister continued: “He’s at all times been a really onerous line on human rights abuses overseas… I feel this all performs into how he sees the world and how he sees his position and what he sees [as] his obligations, which is the UK as a progressive energy in the world.
“And again, [there may be] challenges for universities in those countries that maybe have poorer human rights records than us.”
Name: Yvette Cooper
Position: Home Secretary
What do we learn about her?
Cooper has been the Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley since 1997.
She had a stint as shadow house secretary between 2011 and 2015, in addition to ministerial briefs beneath Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s administrations.
What can we count on?
With the anti-immigration Reform occasion snapping at Labour’s heels, Lister predicted that Cooper should present that she is is wanting critically at immigration points.
“She has a big job in government of taking the hard line on migration,” mentioned Lister, noting that she’s going to need to be seen to convey down web migration.
“She is always going to have an eye on bringing those numbers down. She wants to link immigration more closely to training and skills and things that are needed in the workforce.”
And she may have a watch on “balancing between the skills we need domestically and the skills we need to import from abroad”, Lister anticipated.
Name: Bridget Phillipson
Position: Education secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities
What do we learn about her?
Phillipson is a relative newcomer to Parliament, being elected as the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010.
She has beforehand held positions as Opposition Whip in the House of Commons and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.
And as the shadow schooling secretary, she has been refreshingly constructive about increased schooling.
Lister mentioned: “Bridget has really been at the forefront of resetting the rhetorical relationship with universities. She’s extremely pro the university sector – both she and her counterpart in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle have both said they’re going to end the war on universities, which has been a bit of a slog for the last few years for anyone working in this sector.”
What can we count on?
Phillipson has additionally made encouraging noises about worldwide college students.
As Lister identified: “She’s pledged to recognise the major contribution of international students, and said she will be led by the evidence.”
Name: Rachel Reeves
Position: Chancellor of the Exchequer
What do we learn about her?
Reeves is the UK’s first feminine Chancellor and, like Phillipson, was first elected to Parliament in the 2010 election – representing Leeds West and Pudsey.
And, in keeping with Lister, “she has a real economic vision for the country”.
What can we count on?
Speaking about Reeves’ plans for the financial system Lister mentioned the politician believes ‘it’s about discovering the proper steadiness between international and native financial exercise”.
“International college students are a part of this this rigidity and this dynamic and this view that they’re making an attempt to set in the world. She needs to reinforce the UK’s capability to deal with exterior financial shocks. Including issues… [such as] a foreign money collapse in a key worldwide scholar markets
Name: Jacqui Smith
Position: Universities minister
What do we learn about her?
Smith was the first girl to carry the place of Home Secretary beneath Gordon Brown for 2007 to 2009.
She was first elected as MP for Redditch in 1997 and was made Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education beneath Starmer’s premiership.
What can we count on?
“She’s got a very large brief. She’s taking on responsibility for higher education, further education and skills,” Lister instructed delegates.
“She was the first feminine Home Secretary. And while you return to 2009 and take a look at what she was saying, one among the issues she pledged to convey in was a points-based immigration system, a prevention of dependence of households of expert migrants working in Britain, and a restriction of expert migrants to take jobs solely in scarcity occupations – which sounds fairly acquainted to the final 5 years.
“So I think my my message from all of this is that there is a real reset happening in, government relations to the sector, but it is a cautious reset.”
