THE sudden and sad death of former sports minister Tony Banks drew a fulsome tribute from Professor Graeme Moodie in last night's Evening Press.

Prof Moodie taught Mr Banks soon after the University of York opened, and remembered him as a lively student "verging on the rebellious - but that was the Sixties".

By contrast, Mr Banks felt that perhaps he had not been rebellious enough. Speaking in a debate about legalising cannabis, the man who was York students' union president in 1966 said: "Much to my regret, the permissive 1960s seem to have passed me by in all respects. I have made up for it in certain areas since then, but this is not one of them."

Mr Banks is gone, leaving the Diary to wonder which other ex-York University students were roaming Parliament. The answer is: at least ten. Apart from York's own representative, Hugh Bayley (who did Southern African studies 30 years ago), the highest profile MP is Harriet Harman, now constitutional affairs minister (her degree in politics was completed in 1978).

The list suggests that York University is a hotbed of Lefties. Seven of the ten graduates are Labour, two are Lib Dems and only one is Tory. Four of them represent Yorkshire constituencies.

Here is the full list: Hugh Bayley, Labour, York (BPhil Southern African studies 1976); Richard Burden, Labour, Birmingham Northfield (BA politics, 1978); Louise Ellman, Labour, Liverpool Riverside (MPhil social administration, 1972); Paul Goodman, Tory, Wycombe (BA English literature, 1981); Fabian Hamilton, Labour, Leeds North East (BA social sciences); Harriet Harman, Labour, Camberwell & Peckham (BA politics, 1978); Paul Holmes Lib Dem, Chesterfield (BA history, 1978); Gregory Mulholland, Lib Dem, Leeds North West (BA politics 1991, MA public administration and public policy 1995); Meg Munn, Labour, Sheffield Heeley (BA languages, 1981); Albert Owen, Labour, Anglesey (BA politics, 1997).

TALKING of the university, the place has altered almost beyond recognition since Tony Banks staged student strikes there.

In an article published in The Guardian's education section last month, Val Atkinson, who worked for the university for 33 years, reflected on those changes.

"I was still a teenager when I started work as a secretary in the grandest of ancient buildings, the King's Manor, full of innocent enthusiasm," she wrote. "I imagined that academic life would somehow rub off on me, embrace me, make me part of it. I did not understand the embedded essentials of elitism, exclusiveness, snobbery and exploitation. They are still embedded. I am still apart."

In those early days, "you could march into the vice-chancellor's office (heaven forfend if you were to attempt to do that now) and whinge your head off all afternoon, over a few glasses of very good sherry, about the indignity of having to lick and stick postage stamps for the entire university mail output".

Today, "anyone caught drinking on the job would be subject to disciplinary action, probably dismissal. (Which would have meant dismissing the entire English department of the1960s.)"

WARM thanks to my colleagues who took over the Diary column while I was away. My greatest achievement last week was to use my mobile phone to pay for a parking ticket in Nunnery Lane. Considering the prices these days, I thought it a fair swap.

Updated: 11:03 Tuesday, January 10, 2006