A Commons committee charged with scrutinising the appointment has expressed its opposition to the plan. Last night, Brian Binley, the Tory deputy chairman of the committee, said: ?I am a little concerned about the things that the Prime Minister can?t do. My guess is that so are a number of people in the party.?
He urged Mr Cameron to block the appointment, even if it undermined the balance within the Coalition.
?Prof Ebdon is not the best man for the job,? said Mr Binley. ?They ought to spread their net wider and not go for a patsy from the university sector but somebody from outside who can bring a wider view to the job.?
Margot James, a fellow Tory committee member, said a candidate was needed who would understand ?the root causes? of why universities struggle to recruit students from disadvantaged homes, and who could work with admissions tutors in ways ?that do not undermine academic standards?.
Candidates for high profile government appointments are questioned by a select committee before they are confirmed in their post. Although select committee verdicts are not binding, it is the first time that the Coalition is prepared to over-rule such a decision.
Despite the opposition, Mr Cable is expected to confirm Prof Ebdon?s appointment next week. He will be charged with ensuring elite universities accept more students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The academic has defended so-called ?Mickey Mouse? degrees in subjects such as media studies and fashion design, and angered traditionalists with his blunt attitude towards widening the student intake at highly academic universities.
Prof Ebdon has said he would be prepared to ban universities that miss their admissions targets from charging the maximum ?9,000 a year in tuition fees if he took up the post.
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