The Vice Chancellors scupper Vince

Vince Cable won’t be slipping on his dancing shoes at this year’s Lib Dem conference. A draft of the Browne review into university funding is out today and apparently it does not mention a graduate contribution, Cable’s Lib-Dem friendly answer to tuition fees. The Times has caught wind of this rumour (£), which is also doing the rounds among higher education think-tanks and consultants.

This is unsurprising. Neither David Willetts the universities minister, nor his predecessor Lord Mandelson, ever mentioned a graduate contribution until Cable went on manoeuvres because Lord Browne was not seriously considering such a measure. University Vice-Chancellors and the CBI have always believed it to be an unworkable solution that would damage the international competitiveness of Britain’s renowned universities – the FT’s Alex Barker has an excellent summary of its shortcomings.