Gina Miller, the anti-Brexit campaigner who took the government to court—and won—has announced an ambitious bid to become the next Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Her pitch? A call for transparency, ethics, and a global role for the ancient institution.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Miller said UK universities, including Cambridge, should seize the opportunity to attract academics and students fleeing what she called Donald Trump’s “assault on academia” in the US. As the president cuts funding to top institutions and tightens student visa rules, Miller said Cambridge should step up as a haven.
“This past year has seen a surge in US academics and students looking abroad,” she noted. “So why isn’t Cambridge leading the way?”
If elected, Miller would become the university’s first female chancellor in its 800-year history. Her rivals include TV personality Sandi Toksvig and former BP boss Lord Browne of Madingley.
Miller also criticised the university’s financial ties to arms companies and promised to push for divestment from Cambridge’s £4 billion endowment. “An ethical compass should guide every decision,” she said, applauding King’s College for its recent move to cut ties with defence firms.
On campus culture, she promised to protect free speech but rejected giving platforms to figures such as influencer Andrew Tate. “Speech that promotes hate or misogyny crosses the line,” she said.
She hopes to use the chancellorship to connect Cambridge’s work to the real world. “Why isn’t Cambridge at Davos? Why isn’t it representing British universities globally?” she asked.
Miller was approached to stand by a group of Cambridge professors. Although not an alumna herself, her personal connection to the university includes contact with the research team that discovered the rare genetic mutation behind her cancer.
“This is a moment,” she said. “Cambridge can lead—and I want to help it do just that.”
