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The chair of the King’s Foundation Dame Ann Limb has admitted being “misleading” about her doctorate qualification.<\/p>\n
The education specialist, who was recently nominated for a life peerage by Labour, told the Sunday Times that she had not completed a PhD at the University of Liverpool, despite this appearing on her since-amended CV.<\/p>\n
“To be completely upfront and honest about it, I never completed my PhD at Liverpool University,” she told the newspaper, adding that she used the Doctor title because she had been conferred with honorary PhDs by other institutions.<\/p>\n
The BBC has contacted Dame Ann for comment. The King’s Foundation declined to comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Dame Ann was among nominees to the House of Lords announced by Downing Street earlier in December, having held a number of senior public and private roles.<\/p>\n
The King’s Foundation – which offers courses in practical skills to young people – announced last week that she would be stepping down from her role as chair, which she had held since January, to become a peer.<\/p>\n
An old version of her online CV, seen by the BBC, refers to her with the “Dr” honorific and lists a PhD from the University of Liverpool in 1978 as among her qualifications.<\/p>\n
She was referred to as Dr Ann Limb by the City & Guilds Foundation, which she also chairs, in 2020, and in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list<\/a> announcing her damehood in 2022.<\/p>\n However, a new version of her CV – made in July 2024 – omits the Dr honorific and the supposed 1978 PhD, stating that she received honorary PhDs from Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Northampton.<\/p>\n Her website still says that she began her teaching career in further education “whilst undertaking a PhD at the University of Liverpool”.<\/p>\n She told the Sunday Times<\/a>: “I have used the word ‘Doctor’… because I have got several honorary PhDs and that’s been clear to me that they’re honorary.<\/p>\n “Perhaps my own website is not very helpful, I don’t pay a lot of attention to it, but if there’s anything misleading… on that I’m very happy to correct [it].”<\/p>\n The newspaper also reported she claimed to have gained an MA from the Institute of Linguistics, which she also admitted was untrue.<\/p>\n Recipients of honorary doctorates tend not to use the Dr honorific despite technically being able to out of deference to those who have undertaken the academic work to receive a PhD. <\/p>\n When approached for comment, a No 10 spokesperson directed the BBC to a document listing the reasons why Dame Ann had been nominated for a peerage.<\/p>\n