Q - the thing is here in the UK we have a system where we (supposedly) look after all people in our society, which means free education and free healthcare. These are universal and close to the heart of many people in this country and most of the people making the decisions about their future have benefitted from them in the past. Only now, because of a) past mismangement and b) a sadly misplaced idealism and c) overspending on wars and weapons, they are under threat and we are threatened with a US-style system of both education and healthcare i.e rich = get educated and stay well, poor = get to fuck and die.

This is not what our fathers and grandfathers fought for, it not what the majority of people in the UK want and it's bloody uncivilised at this point in history having a society where your education and healthcare is based on if you can pay for it and lines the pockets of private businesses.

So an £18k p.a. university with Dawkins and Grayling is a brilliant idea; how ever allowing only the offspring of rich to people to go is an execrable notion. If those willing to teach in an academy for toffs were to get out into the country and teach all our kids how much of a boost to the education of our future citizens might that be?