Campaign History

Following a petition signed by over 200 academics, staff, students and alumni, the Senate of QMUL has joined the growing number of Universities to declare their lack of confidence, and call for a delay in the implementation of the Higher Education White Paper.

Following the launch of a petition in October, Birkbeck’s academic board voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion expressing No Confidence in the policies of the Minister for Science and Higher Education, and calling for the government to halt the implementation of the Higher Education White Paper.

Birkbeck College have launched a petition to collect academic support for a motion of No Confidence, to be tabled at a board meeting in November.

The motion reads:

The Academic Board of Birkbeck College has no confidence in the policies of the Minister for Science and Higher Education David Willetts. We call on the government to pause its implementation of the White Paper, which has the potential to inflict great and irreversible damage to Higher Education in the UK.

A Working Party formed from members of local campaigns across the country has been meeting over the summer to produce a joint response to the White Paper.

This response has been submitted to the BIS consultation, and we are now making it available for download here.

Academics respond to the White Paper (PDF, 147KB)

On July 6th the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association held their AGM, and passed a vote of No Confidence in the policies of the Minister for Universities and Science. The FWSA is the professional association for women’s gender and feminist studies in the UK.

681 Regents have called for the University of Cambridge to express no confidence in the policies of the Minister for Universities. This is a large figure, especially as voting took place during the long vacation when many academics are absent and unable to pick up ballots, which are only posted to University offices. Remarkably, the vote was split, 681:681. As a draw the result is inconclusive and therefore the Grace, as a formal mechanism, cannot go through.

This afternoon at the annual NUS NEC conference, a motion was tabled and subsequently passed which reads:

NUS NEC resolves “That NUS has no confidence in the Educational policies of the Coalition Government”

As of Wednesday 20 July, eight departments in King’s College London have expressed overwhelming support for the vote of no confidence: Classics, European Studies, Film Studies, French, Hellenic Studies, History, Philosophy, and Theology and Religious Studies.

Update: 8th August – The department for Culture, Media and Creative Industries has joined the list of KCL departments to declare their lack of confidence.

The following motion was agreed unanimously at a meeting of University of Bath Academic assembly today

University of Bath Academic Assembly has no confidence in the policies of the Minister for Science and Higher Education David Willetts. We call on the government to pause its implementation of the White Paper, which has the potential to inflict great and irreversible damage to Higher Education in the UK.

We also strongly support the similar motion of no confidence proposed by the Oxford University Campaign for Higher Education, and urge students and academics across the country to support it as well, by signing the online petition athttps://www.noconfidence.org.uk.

On July 8th, Leeds became the second University to pass a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science. The motion was passed in the University Senate.

Campaign for the Public University, Oxford University Campaign for Higher Education, Sussex University Defends Higher Education, Warwick University Campaign for Higher Education, Humanities Matter, and the No Confidence Campaign have collaborated on a joint response to the white paper, announcing a call for contributions to an Alternative White Paper to be published in September, in line with the end of the government’s consultation period.

The University and College Union have launched their own No-Confidence petition against the government’s policies in futher, higher and adult education.

Don’t forget to also sign our petition.

On Monday 20th of June, the Department of Philosophy of King’s College London voted unanimously to support a motion of no confidence in the policies of the Minister for Universities.

On June 17th, we launched our national petition, collecting signatures from anyone with an interest in safeguarding the future of Higher Education across the country.

On the 7th of June Oxford University’s sovereign body, Congregation, debated a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science. The motion read as follows:

Congregation instructs Council to communicate to Government that the University of Oxford has no confidence in the policies of the Minister for Higher Education.

The speeches made by members of OUCHE and the No Confidence campaign can be found on the Oxford campaign page. After the close of debate, the vote was called, and the results were as follows: For: 283, Against: 5