Times Higher Ed reports the raising of university eyebrows at the decision by Imperial College to stop paying subscriptions to CASE - the Campaign for Science and Engineering.
Times Higher Education understands that Imperial College London previously paid an annual subscription of about £3,000 to the lobby group, which was widely credited with helping to secure a ring-fenced, flat-cash research budget in last October's Comprehensive Spending Review.
However, Imperial announced last autumn that it would not be renewing its subscription, and it has now confirmed that decision.
A spokesman said the university regularly reviews its subscriptions to membership organisations to "ensure they complement and add value to the college's activities".
The report relays the concerns of lots of the other universities and their praise for CASE's work in extracting money from the government.
So, if I understand things correctly the taxpayer has money extracted with menaces by the government. The government gives some of this to the universities and who pass some on to CASE. CASE then use their cut to lobby the government for more public funds to be given to them.
This doesn't seem entirely right, does it?