Socialist stalwart of certain universities? (8)
I believe the answer is:
redbrick
'of certain universities?' is the definition.
(as in England's redbrick universities)
'socialist stalwart' is the wordplay.
'socialist' becomes 'red' (red is a kind of socialist).
'stalwart' becomes 'brick' (I've seen this in other clues).
'red'+'brick'='REDBRICK'
(Other definitions for redbrick that I've seen before include "Style of university" , "(Of universities) late 19th- to early 20th-century" , "Non-Oxbridge" , "Type of university" , "Newer (university)" .)