The following motion was carried at the branch extraordinary general meeting 25 February 2025 so is agreed collective policy (unless a more recent motion has superseded it). The text here is subject to approval of the minutes of that meeting and the approved minutes will be the correct version.

This branch notes the catastrophic crisis in UK Higher Education (UKHE), characterised by severe underfunding, unsustainable workloads, precarity and ongoing redundancies and course closures across the country. It also notes the Labour government’s wholly inadequate response to this crisis, need for decisive political action and detrimental impact on local communities.

This branch believes that urgent, concerted political action is required to address the gravity of this situation and pressure the government to take action. This must show the human cost of the cuts while highlighting the political, social and economic consequences. It must also highlight how the crisis to disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and creates long-term problems for this country’s global reputation.

This branch resolves to urge all members to write to their local MPs demanding:

• Immediate and sustained government investment in UKHE to address the current funding crisis and prevent further job losses.
• Government action to address unsustainable workloads and precarity, recognising that institutions may exploit these existing conditions to make unnecessary cuts.
• Commitment to equitable access to HE for students of all backgrounds, acknowledging that cuts disproportionately harm educationally disadvantaged groups (e.g., especially through the closure of regional and post-92 universities, and arts and humanities subjects).

This action demonstrates members’ strength of feeling over the UKHE crisis, and sends a united message that the Labour government has failed to act sufficiently and must do so now to safeguard our profession and the future of education.

(240 words.) Proposed by Miriam Kent. Moved by Miriam Kent, seconded by Jenny Rivas Perez. Amended to remove editing error. The motion was carried.