Universities and mergers – is less more?

This week the new Higher Education minister (and the man tipped to be Britain's first black Prime Minister) David Lammy asked universities: "Do you have the right number of institutions? In the commercial sector there would have to be many mergers over the next few decades – far more than we have seen in higher education. Could more be done to encourage that among universities?"

I am a merger skeptic - too often mergers are driven by efforts to build empires or enhance salaries - or even worse, driven by bureaucratic convenience. Whatever the motives, too often the benefits are exaggerated and the costs overlooked (ask the bosses at RBS who out-bid Barclays for ABN-AMRO).

Nevertheless, some mergers can make sense as a response to changing times and challenging economics. While consolidation of existing institutions may take place, is there a case for increasing the supply-side? That actual or threatened competition from potential entrants can surely raise quality is increasingly recognised in the pre-18 education marketplace.