Corbyn finds himself significantly lower down our list this year than his predecessor Ed Miliband, who at the time was a good bet to be the next Prime Minister. Widely expected to fend off the leadership challenge by Owen Smith, Corbyn’s position as Labour leader may be secure for now, but few informed commentators expect him to have much of a chance of winning a general election. Nonetheless, Corbyn has significant influence over higher education because universities are home to many of his core constituency, among both students and staff.
Corbyn’s belief in abolishing tuition fees is not yet official Labour Party policy, but a fight on the topic at some point in the future seems likely to challenge the prevailing consensus on fees. Corbyn also represents an increasingly vocal radicalism that thrives on university campuses, as an angry generation of students and academics let their frustration at continued Tory hegemony be known.
Labour figures are much further down our list than in 2015. Read more here.