She is Liz Truss’s closest political ally whose loyalty saw her elevated to the position of deputy prime minister and health secretary. Yet some who recall Thérèse Coffey at Oxford University are surprised that “Tiz” has ascended to be the official No 2 in the government. It has emerged that Coffey, who told the BBC on Wednesday that she had been appointed to the health portfolio because of her “grasp of detail”, had to leave Oxford’s Somerville College after failing examinations in chemistry. Coffey was a student there from October 1989 to March 1991, following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher, who graduated from Somerville after studying chemistry – a parallel that has been approvingly highlighted on more than one occasion. Yet unlike Thatcher, Coffey was “asked to withdraw on 9 March 1991 on academic grounds”, according to Somerville. One Oxford contemporary of Coffey’s said: “It’s no secret among those who knew her then that she had to leave, not for any misconduct, but because she was so involved in extracurricular activities. “She was really involved in rowing, and of course there was Conservative politics, but people are a bit nonplussed that this extremely pleasant person has ended up being the one who has succeeded in government rather than some of the really brilliant ones from that time.”
At no stage has Coffey described herself as a graduate of Oxford University. Her profile on the government’s website has a single line under education: “Thérèse graduated from University College London (UCL) with a PhD in chemistry.” She also has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCL. But among profiles of the new health secretary this week, the Telegraph reported that she had graduated from Somerville, while a Times profile stated: “While Truss may claim to be the heir to Thatcher, it is Coffey who studied the same degree at the same Oxford college: chemistry at Somerville.” In the past, organisations ranging from the Conservative Women’s Organisation to the National Farmers’ Union have made a point of saying Coffey was educated at Oxford. Others include the London School of Economics, which prefaced her attendance at an event by saying she “studied at Somerville College, Oxford, before progressing to UCL”. Somerville College celebrated her appointment by posting a Facebook message on Wednesday that said: “Somerville College congratulates Thérèse Coffey (1989, chemistry) on her appointment as health and social care secretary.” The post drew criticism from a number of people, including one who replied: “Did she finish her degree at Somerville? If not, why are you claiming her as one of your own? As an NHS clinician, I fear for the future of the NHS under any current Tory government, and am deeply concerned about her appointment.” Another stated: “As a frontline NHS clinician and Somerville alumnus, I have no faith in her ability to steer the NHS away from its current black hole of funding, staff retention or spiralling patient waits.” Coffey was approached for comment. A spokesperson for Somerville College said: “It is the practice of Somerville College to report the noteworthy achievements of its alumni without implying an endorsement of their views. It is customary to define alumni by their year of matriculation, since this is when a student enters the university.”