Except in this case they're a mild and moderate majority trying to preserve the institutions and educational prospects of their students that are teetering on brink of crisis.

I would say that in the next couple of years we'll see 20% of British universities go to the wall, either as bankruptcy or takeovers, a tragedy directly attributable to mismanagement by failing to focus on core priorities.

When it comes to standing up for my students, most of whom have come places like Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana and even Somalia (where they're literally starving to death), and who have gambled their family life savings on the one smart son or daughter (up to £25,000) I'll take on the "extremist" role of defending them with pride. I hope you'd have the courage too.