Begun in the the 1960s as an idea of the Leader of the Labour Party Harold Wilson to create a 'university of the air', making use of the new television technology to deliver a form of higher education accessible to the masses. He appointed a wonderful lady called Jennie Lee to take his idea forward and so the first version of the Open University was announced and the first batch of students applied.
But, shortly before the letters of acceptance were to be sent out to the students, Labour lost the general election, Ted Heath's government took up office and the minister in charge of Education was... Margaret Thatcher.
The Tories had totally opposed the formation of this new fangled university and were all ready to pull the plug on the whole idea, but to do so would have been politically risky. The THE tells the story here:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=156304
Amazing eh? Margaret Thatcher - the saviour of the OU...
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