Following our acclaimed series on the crisis of the British university system, we talk to Andrew McGettigan, author of the The Great University Gamble: Money, Markets and the Future of Higher Education.
In this very deep dive, Andrew first discusses with us some of the issues that we glossed over in that series: the differences between Higher Education policy in different parts of the United Kingdom, and the specific history of the polytechnics. We then go into a detailed account of the policy shifts, ideological investments and financial shenanigans that have led to the current state of near-total meltdown in the sector. If our earlier series gave you the big picture, this is the ugly nuts and bolts of how it has all happened, and what it might take to change it.
The document that Andrew refers to in the interview (the 2011 JNCHES guide to reading university accounts) is available here.
For a history of the polytechnics, Andrew recommends John Pratt’s book The Polytechnic Experiment.
At one point Andrew makes a reference that might be rather obscure to many people when he talks about a ‘Ratner’ moment. He’s referring to this guy…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ratner
He also makes a couple of references to https://wonkhe.com.
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Culture, Power, Politics Live: ‘The Conjuncture’
Thursday November 12th 2026, 18:30
Oxford House, London (and also live on YouTube)
When are we?
How can we understand the way things are now? What is the balance of power or forces in British politics and economics, what contradictions are taking shape in culture and society, and how do these define the moment we live in?
This live ‘episode’ of the Culture, Power, Politics podcast is all about analysing ‘the conjuncture’ – the histories and possible futures shaping the present. Alan Finlayson and Jeremy Gilbert will discuss some of the general ideas and concepts and invite the audience to join them in making sense of our particular now, the opportunities to seize and the dangers to avoid.
To Register: https://actionnetwork.org/events/culture-power-politics-live-the-conjuncture
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/2kMn1wn_Yl0