Vice Chancellor Suspended

Professor Wendy Thomson, Vice Chancellor of the University of London, has been suspended. This followed a unanimous decision by the University’s Board of Trustees on 21 May 2025. This action was taken in response to allegations of bullying and poor leadership, as reported by the Evening Standard here. 

A group of University staff submitted a letter to the Board of Trustees accusing her of fostering a “culture of bullying and fear“. The allegations include claims of aggressive and belittling behaviour, as well as lack of strategic direction under her leadership. An independent investigation will now be conducted. Professor Thomson has not publicly addressed the bullying allegations, but she has submitted her own complaint concerning “governance and staff issues.” She stated that the University told her that her complaint did not warrant disciplinary action.

According to wikipedia, Professor Thomson’s career includes roles such as Assistant Chief Executive of Islington Council, Chief Executive of Newham Council, Director of the Audit Commission, and head of the Office of Public Service Reform in the Cabinet Office during Tony Blair’s government. 

Professor Thomson’s exact salary as Vice-Chancellor of the University of London is unknown.. The University of London seemingly does not publish remuneration figures for its senior leadership in its publicly accessible reports. However, Vice Chancellors at UK universities typically earn between £300,000 and £500,000 per year, depending on the institution’s size and complexity. Given Professor Thomson’s experience in public service, it’s reasonable to infer that her pay falls towards the upper part of this general range.

It must be remembered that the allegations are so far unproven.

Even so, there is much to applaud here in terms of process.

• Once evidence has been provided and allegations have been shown to have some substance, then it is right that those accused of serious bullying are suspended while the matter is investigated. This is very important from the point of view of safeguarding.

• It is right that those at the very top of organisations receive serious scrutiny. Bullying derives from power differences. Those holding powerful administrative positions and the Human Resources elite are very often the worst perpetrators of bullying.

• The individuals involved in the matter have been supported in line with the University’s whistleblowing and HR policies

So many Universities follow the maxim: “The less you intend to do about something, the more you must keep talking about it“. Certainly, Cambridge does. And as regards whistleblowing, leading administrators at Cambridge University are the defendants in a big Employment Tribunal on whistleblowing 1-28 June 2026.

Our view is if a Vice Chancellor or Registrar or HR Director is taken down for bullying, it’s about bloody time. Academia’s had too many bullies in gowns hiding behind prestige and policy. If accountability’s contagious, let this be the pandemic we actually need.