Russell was ‘meddling’ in university merger talks

Published on Thursday 5 January 2012 00:01

EDUCATION secretary Mike Russell has been accused of an “unhealthy” level of “meddling” in the affairs of Scotland’s higher education sector after it was claimed he was central to talks over a possible merger of two universities.

Details released under Freedom of Information laws reportedly show Mr Russell was briefed on the possible merger of Dundee and Abertay universities by the Scottish Funding Council.

Documents show the SFC prepared a seven-page briefing note for the government before it asked the universities to consider a merger.

The paper was sent to Mr Russell’s department on 24 August, three weeks before the proposal was first made public.

In the note, the SFC recommended a merger, with Abertay being absorbed into the bigger University of Dundee.

Jenny Marra, Labour MSP for North-East Scotland, said the document showed there had been a “Machiavellian plot” by the SNP to merge the universities.

Tory education spokeswoman Liz Smith MSP there had been an “unhealthy” amount of “meddling” in the merger talks, which subsequently failed, allowing the two institutions to remain independent.

She said: “The ongoing revelations about the botched Abertay/Dundee merger are symptomatic of a Scottish Government which increasingly thinks it knows best.”

However, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “There is no proposal to close any university or college by this government – and never will be.

“Ministers have been clear throughout that the potential merger of Abertay and Dundee universities was a matter for the universities and the funding council – not ministers.”

The Scottish Government has said colleges and universities should explore collaboration and possible merger as a way of saving money.

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10

fifty

Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 07:41 PM

Russell is a fool. A cursory view of his past achievements would underline his political ambitions. He is a fool who alas democracy will not recognise. A fool elected by fools. He will damage the HE sector and traduce it to shadow of its past. He yearns to be noticed and taken seriously as does his leader Salmond. The once proud and respected HE sector is in a catch 22 obey or face reduce funding. SFC is the but a vehicle to enforce political correctness. If you create the formulae for funding surprise surprise mergers will arise.

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Lachie Mhor

Friday, January 6, 2012 at 05:34 PM

Another example of the Nats-is attempting to control society. As usual they are peddling their propaganda coupled with the big lie propounded by another well known nationalist Goebbels.

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8

well informed

Friday, January 6, 2012 at 11:31 AM

5 "everyone knows that the SFC was doing Russell's bidding." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based on the knowledge that the Liebour party and Der Sturmer say so!

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7

well informed

Friday, January 6, 2012 at 11:24 AM

It seems that Der Sturmer cant go a day without at least one SNP accused headline! I bet they keep a printing template handy!

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6

Vote 'NO'

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 09:41 AM

2 How many days a week does this "parliament" sit for?

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5

Vote 'NO'

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 09:40 AM

It's a non-story in the sense that everyone knows that the SFC was doing Russell's bidding. Good to see FoI being used to expose the SNP's deceit- once again. Fortunately, Russell was wise enough not to try and thwart the request, like Salmond did over his correspondence with Fred Goodwin (4 FoI requests over 18 months).

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4

Old Jim

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 01:53 AM

Unbeleivable non story Education minister interested in ...Education institutes He was sent a breifing on a POSSIBLE merger I suppose if being the Education Minister he IS supposed to be breifed on any POSSIBLE changes

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3

Marga

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 12:57 AM

Snap! There's an article in today's Guardian by Zoe Williams on this same subject: Labour has been hiding behind child poverty for far too long-------------------------------------------------------------------------- "In this harshly political age the left has to stop using child poverty as a way of avoiding a debate on income redistribution" - you could extend that to "using it to avoid debate, full stop".

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2

Marga

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 12:54 AM

Soosider, this is just another example of earnest recycling of dubious figures to use against the SNP. Have we discovered at last the secret of what the Scotland Office spends its hefty budget on, now that Scotland's got its own parliement?

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soosider

Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 12:40 AM

SFC which has a role to oversee finances of Colleges, is aware that two institutions are discussing the possibility of a merger, runs the numbers for them and shares this with the SG. Only in Labour lala land is this meddling. Desperate stuff

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