Leading article: Oxford revisited

It is good news if Professor John Hood, Oxford's vice-chancellor, is winning support now for his revised governance reforms. We were lobbied last week by a number of dons who were opposed to his second Green Paper. We thought things looked bad for him in the discussion at Congregation, so we concluded with a prayer that the rebels' solution to Oxford's problems would work. But, if Oxford's lecturers and tutors really are coming round to Hood's sensible compromise (a ruling body of seven outsiders, seven insiders and Lord Patten as chairman) the university has a chance to reshape itself for the 21st century.