I was wondering if there is any way to salvage a failed PhD (apart from appealing). For instance, can I rewrite my PhD, enroll at another university and then re-submit a year later?

Similarly, if I was awarded a MPhil as a "consolation prize", would I have to start a new PhD from scratch or is there some process whereby I can get it upgraded after rewriting?

""What I would say though, is if your supervisor was inadequate, and you are unhappy with your examiner - why have you not done anything earlier; that's rather lax.""

I have tried complaining several times about my examiner but my supervisors have pretty much ignored my protests and claimed that selection of the examiner is their perogative.

I am on the verge of submitting my thesis at UK institution. However, in the event that things don't go as well as planned I am a bit unsure about my rights regarding appeals:

1. Am I entitled appeal on grounds of "Inadequate supervision"?

2. Can I appeal on the grounds that I disagreed with the person my supervisors selected as an examiner - they seem determined to select an academic in the same department who has been critical of my thesis topic?

3. If I get offered a MPhil as "consolation prize" instead of a PhD, or if I fail outright, can I re-register at another institution, revise my thesis and then submit it as a fresh thesis?

4. If I get a MPhil as a "consolation prize" is there any academic path, short of doing a fresh PhD in the same subject, to getting it upgraded to a PhD?