Higher education funding

That this House welcomes UNISON’s Fund Our Future campaign to protect jobs, pay, and terms and conditions in higher education; expresses concern about the funding crisis in the sector which is leading to cuts and redundancies across universities; notes that the combination of tuition-fees, Brexit, a decline in international student numbers, and inflationary pressures has created severe financial challenges; understands the proposed levy upon international students will further impact on these financial challenges; recognises that even prior to the current crisis, pay, terms and conditions had already declined due to austerity, with staff experiencing a 28% real-terms pay cut since 2010; further notes that the current 1.4% higher education pay offer for 2025-26 represents an additional real terms cut, further eroding conditions and morale; believes that the marketisation of higher education has caused lasting damage to students, universities, and wider society, and that higher education must be restored and recognised as a public good providing widespread economic and social benefits; acknowledges research by London Economics showing that every £1 of public money invested in UK universities generates £14 in economic benefit; and calls on the Government to work with the sector, including higher education unions EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite, to resolve the current pay crisis and to go further by fundamentally reforming the sector, adopting a progressive and sustainable funding model, and bringing an end to the marketisation of higher education.