Yes - formal tenure was abolished under Thatcher's government in the 80s. The academic job market here is also brutal, but it's brutal on admission to lecturesh

Yes - formal tenure was abolished under Thatcher's government in the 80s. The academic job market here is also brutal, but it's brutal on admission to lectureships (tenure-track assistant professorships in the US). Once appointed on a 'permanent' contract there's no race for tenure: it's like an ordinary public-sector job where you can have a reasonable expectation of continuing employment but aren't immune from redundancy (==layoff) or dismissal for poor performance (which is quite rare). It's a better system for early-mid career academics than the US, IMO, and I'm glad I'm here. Other systems are better for other career stages: some European countries give PhD students actual employment protections and a salary, while life as a tenured full prof in Germany or the US is sweeter than the British equivalent. Doesn't stop the other grim employment aspects of modern academia, either: exploitation of hourly-paid PhD students for most of the teaching, far fewer posts than qualified applicants, eternal postdocry etc.