‘Placing an increased amount of pressure on the financial value of degrees undermines the worth of the arts and humanities’. This is the words of the Cambridge Vice Chancellor, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz.

There is increasing pressure to undertake courses that are vocational perhaps because graduates hope this will help them to find a job immediately after university. And of course this is understandable as tuition fees are set to rise an astronomical amount in most institutions.

But we must not forget the value subjects like History, Geography or English bring us.

Studying History, for example, allows us to learn from our past, from others mistakes, we understand how decisions are made, wars are fought and how monarchies realm. It provides us with an understanding we would be without.

Likewise a discipline such as geography is fundamental to our understanding of the planet and its systems. It can teach us about global emergency management, climate change and global warming and different regions of the world.

It’s understandable that students are thinking practically in current circumstances but those pure disciplines will gain them a wealth of knowledge…experience comes later and can’t be taught.

You can read the full interview with the vice chancellor here.

Next week will mark a decisive moment for the Conservative party as at least 100 Tory MPs are expected to defy the whip and vote in favor of a referendum on Europe. The Tories policy on Europe is all over the place. It always has been, it’s one area they can’t be decisive on.

This will be the Prime Minister’s biggest challenge so far and if the rebellion is successful it will have a detrimental impact on him.

Tomorrow I hope to post a debate I did for LBC on Friday with Iain Dale and other guests.

You can read more about the potential rebellion here.