It is a rare politician who takes on a complex problem that offers little electoral dividend just ahead of an election they expect to lose. This reality is troubling Labour strategists who fear that Conservatives are parking a number of issues in the file marked “another party’s problem”. One such toxic parcel is the brewing financial crisis in UK higher education.What makes this particularly sad is that the great universities are one of the UK’s success stories. World rankings show Britain boasts more top rated institutions than the rest of the EU put together. Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial rank in the top 10. Four more are in the top 50. The UK has long been a leading destination for international students and academics.
在一场预计会输掉的选举之前，很少有政治人士会着手解决一个没有什么选举红利的复杂问题。这一现实让工党的战略家们感到不安，他们担心保守党正在把许多问题放在标为“另一个政党的问题”的文件中。其中一个有毒包裹就是英国高等教育正在酝酿的财务危机。