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Margaret Hodge may have said things with which many of us would disagree, but she is a bright woman, will listen and will learn quickly.

Let us not forget that she has a strong record on equal opportunities issues. The plight of women academic staff in our universities who are not paid equally for work of equal value is a national disgrace, as is the low proportion of women in senior posts.

Vice-chancellors, overwhelmingly white, male and middle class, have not put their own house in order. Nor has there been any concerted effort to attack those old boys' networks that promote the cronyism and favouritism still endemic in our system.

I hope Hodge will make great strides in this direction.

June Purvis
School of Social and Historical Studies
University of Portsmouth