Has Martin Amis forced Eagleton out?

Terry Eagleton, the Marxist literary critic, is fighting to save his job at Manchester University - he has been asked to stand down as Professor of English Literature because he has reached the official age of retirement, 65.

However, Eagleton has let it be known he plans to take the matter to an industrial tribunal. "I really love teaching and I'm not too far on that I can't do it," he says. "I'm not exactly decrepit yet."

One person who is unlikely to support the good professor's cause is his colleague Martin Amis (pictured), the university's Professor of Creative Writing. Last year the pair had a major ding-dong after Eagleton accused Amis of acting like a "British National Party thug" and denounced his father Kingsley as "a racist, anti-Semitic boor, a drink-sodden, self-hating reviler of women, gays and liberals." (Continued below)

In fact, there are some at Manchester who believe Amis might even be the reason why the university are enforcing their codes of practice to the letter. "I'm not saying Martin is behind this, but he isn't averse to throwing his weight around when required," says a source. "And if that was the case, think about it. Who would you rather have on the teaching staff, Eagleton or Amis?"