Last week, we highlighted the probing of university funding being undertaken by Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP, who has led the way in exposing and drilling down into this most disturbing of scandals. This week the first fruits of his research emerged. And they are as worrying as has been feared.
Exeter University appears to have an even worse moral compass than the LSE, having discussed a £75 million contract with Libya. The deal never came to fruition, but the fact that its vice-chancellor flew to Tripoli in 2003 shows how seriously it took the possibility. Exeter was also forced this week to issue a statement about its European Muslim Research Centre, whose work is funded by the Cordoba Foundation and Islam Expo. There is clearly more probing to be done as the statement begs more questions than it answers. But what truly beggars belief is that Durham University – or any university in the UK – could ever have considered it appropriate to accept funding from the Iranian regime, the main funder of global terror. It does seem as if the LSE affair was the tip of the iceberg. But it should not be left to one MP to push for details of what has been going on. The government must, as a matter of urgency, set up a full inquiry. We need the full facts.