English universities should not expect government bailout, Phillipson says

Goldsmiths, University of London, is making 97 redundancies as about 70 universities are said to be actively engaged in cost-saving programmes. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

Universities in England facing severe financial difficulties should not expect a government bailout, the education secretary has said, despite warnings from the sector of thousands of job losses, course closures and even bankruptcies.

With 40% of institutions projected to run budget deficits this year, Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the crisis. She said she was “determined to develop a brighter future for universities” and put them on a “sustainable footing in the long term”.