Government urged to act in Cambridge vet school closure row

A vet and shadow minister has urged the Government to intervene in the fight to save the University of Cambridge’s vet school from closure.

Neil Hudson raised the issue at Defra questions in the Commons this morning, 18 December, one week on from the bombshell recommendation.

Farming minister Dame Angela Eagle said she was willing to hold talks with the university, though she insisted the issue was a matter for them.

Cambridge graduate

But Dr Hudson, himself a Cambridge graduate, pleaded for ministers to “press” the institution to change course “for the benefit of animals and people here in the UK and across the world”.

He said: “We do not produce enough vets in the UK. We face threats to our food security and our biosecurity, both of which vets are pivotal to.

“The health and welfare of animals depends on vets, as indeed does public health.”

The proposal for veterinary education at Cambridge to end once next year’s cohort graduates in 2032 is expected to be considered by the university’s general board in mid-January.

Furious reaction

It has already provoked a furious reaction from the school itself, with thousands already said to have backed a new Save the Vet School campaign, as well as broader professional concerns including criticism by vet and Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers.

Dame Angela said she was happy to discuss the issue with the university but admitted being “unsighted” as to the reasons for the move.

She told the chamber: “We need to ensure the supply is there and the opportunities to train are there but this particular decision is one for Cambridge University.”