perhaps the most shocking point

Of all the shocking facts connected with the Middlesex case, this one (taken from the website to which I just linked) is among the most shocking:

“However, the RAE rewards past performance going forward and, we are told, universities have complete strategic freedom to redeploy the money internally. It seems that RAE 2008 monies will come to the university until August 2014, whether or not the university continues to employ academic staff in the subject that earned them.

Indeed, if as many believe, the incoming government delays the next exercise by 2 years, to 2015, Middlesex will continue to receive RAE money for Philosophy for six more years, until August 2016, whether it employs any philosophers or not. The total sum is likely to be close to £1 million.”

If they are consciously aware of this (and they must be) then the cynicism of it is jaw-dropping.