The Conservative chair of the English higher education regulator, the Office for Students, has resigned from his post after the Labour Party’s win in the UK’s general election.
Lord Wharton of Yarm has been in post since early 2021 after being appointed by Sir Gavin Williamson, who was then education secretary.
A former MP who also served as Boris Johnson’s campaign manager, he was a controversial choice to succeed the watchdog’s first chair, Sir Michael Barber.
Questions were raised after it emerged that the interview panel for the role included three Conservatives and a former Tory parliamentary candidate.
While in post, Lord Wharton oversaw the regulator as lockdown restrictions eased after the pandemic and during a period of extensive industrial action.
The OfS has also significantly expanded its work in this time, focusing more on free speech issues and grade inflation, as well as taking over as the sector’s designated quality body from the Quality Assurance Agency.
Last year the peer defended plans to raise registration fees, which he said was necessary because of the organisation’s expanded remit.
But Lord Wharton continued to face calls to resign the Conservative whip in the House of Lords or step down, something that he refused to do.
A Department for Education spokesperson thanked Lord Wharton for his service “through a period of change and challenge at the OfS”.
They said his resignation had been accepted and a process to appoint an interim chair was under way, with a permanent replacement to be announced “in due course”.
“Lord Wharton joined the OfS in early 2021, as the country and the higher education sector began to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the regulator.
“During his time as chair, the OfS has continued to develop as a regulator. We reset our approach to regulating quality, launched our equality of opportunity risk register and reported on the financial pressures affecting students and institutions.
“I’m grateful for his support for colleagues across the OfS during this period, and for all his work with our important sector.”
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