The perils of uncertainty

With 47 hours to go until polling stations open, the outlook for British higher education has never been more unsettled, writes Alison Goddard.

The general election is due to be held on Thursday 7 May. Its outcome is unclear. The parties are offering a range of policies that would impact upon the nation and upon universities in different ways.

Pollsters predict a range of results, with most giving the Conservatives a small edge ahead of Labour on just over a third of votes cast. Forecasting exactly how these voting intentions translate into parliamentary seats is a dark art that produces different answers depending on who is asked. At the mid-range, pollsters predict that the Conservatives will have slightly more seats in the next parliament than Labour.