Renewed call for Edinburgh University bosses to be grilled by MSPs over £140m cuts plan

A letter by the joint trade unions at the institution called for Sir Peter Mathieson, the university’s principal, and other senior figures to be grilled “as soon as possible”.

It cited the potentially “devastating” impact of the proposed cuts and raised fears over the “permanent damage” that could be inflicted on the largest university in Scotland.

The unions - Unison, Unite and UCU - claim there are “many parallels” with the financial crisis at Dundee University.

Sir Peter previously said “radical” action was needed to plug a £140 million hole in Edinburgh’s finances. The Senatus Academicus committee, which oversees teaching at the university, has passed a motion of no confidence in the leadership’s plans.

The trade unions’ letter to Holyrood’s education committee, dated May 30, said the cuts may necessitate as many as 1,800 redundancies.

“We are concerned that similar patterns of mismanagement to those exposed at the University of Dundee are clearly in evidence at the University of Edinburgh,” it said.

“These include irresponsible and unsustainable levels of capital spending, which continue to be proposed, despite management’s claims they are scaling back.”

The letter argued the university's capital plans “have been severely mismanaged”.

It continued: “As previously requested, we call on the committee to use its investigatory powers, including related to accessing critical internal information, summoning witnesses, and creating recommendations, to interrogate the basis for and necessity of these severe cuts by a body receiving millions in public and Scottish Funding Council (SFC) funding.”

It concludes: “Given that the UoE principal has stated that the proposed changes will begin immediately, we urge you to hold a hearing to question him and other members of the senior leadership team as soon as possible.”

The letter is signed by June Maguire, branch secretary at Unison, Mark Patrizio, branch chair at Unite, and Sophia Woodman, branch president at UCU Edinburgh.

Miles Briggs, the Scottish Tory education spokesman, said: “I’m sure that the education committee will want to examine the issues raised in this letter and I hope that the University of Edinburgh will be transparent and comprehensive in their response.

“But the primary responsibility for this dire state of affairs lies with the SNP Government.”

Sir Peter, the university principal, said: “The serious financial challenges we are facing are not unique to Edinburgh: they are affecting the university sector across Scotland and the whole of the UK.

“Forecasts show that Edinburgh will be in deficit from the next financial year if sufficient action is not urgently taken: this would lead to even greater and more prolonged uncertainty for our staff, with even more radical changes being required in future. We will continue to be transparent about the urgency and severity of the situation, and our plans to address it.

“As the leadership of one of the country’s most prestigious institutions and a major employer, the university executive takes very seriously its responsibilities to navigate through this challenging period and ensure a sustainable future for our fabulous university.

“Government and trades union engagement are key parts of this and I welcome constructive discussions as we collectively take the steps necessary to secure the university’s, and the wider sector’s, successful future.”