New PM urged to fix fees deep freeze and Horizon limbo

The UK’s next prime minister must urgently address the “deep freeze” of university tuition fees and the loss of international scientific partnerships when they enter Downing Street, a former Tory higher education minister has warned.

While science and universities have featured fleetingly in the run-off to succeed Boris Johnson - now narrowed down to a choice for Tory members between foreign secretary Liz Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak - the country’s new leader will need to confront several long-standing challenges in these sectors as soon as they are elected in early September, said Lord Johnson of Marylebone, a universities minister under three prime ministers between 2015 and 2019.