Winning friends...

Sir Howard Newby, the former funding chief, was known as a smooth operator in the corridors of Whitehall. Now these talents are coming in handy during the rounds of introductory meetings with staff in his new job as vice-chancellor at the University of the West of England.

Academics at the university have apparently been persuaded that "he's not such a bad bloke, after all". This is impressive at a time when vice-chancellors are not the most popular figures on campus.