Academics urge UK government not to U-turn on free speech entitlements

More than fifty academics have urged the UK Government not to backtrack on free speech safeguards in new universities' legislation.

Ministers are thought to be watering down plans to give students and academics power to sue universities that violate their free speech rights.

A proposal to provide legal recourse for such action is included in the government's Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.

Signatories of the letter include Professor Kathleen Stock, who was subjected to a campaign of intimidation after criticising trans activism whilst at Sussex University.

The letter, to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, says that critics of the Higher Education Bill “underestimate the scale of the free speech crisis in our universities”.

It accuses opponents of being “ideologically" motivated and unsympathetic to those who have to "self-censor", contend with "prolonged investigations merely for expressing their opinions", and "bullying".

Lord Willetts, a former Conservative universities minister, opposes the creation of a new statutory tort, saying it risks "duplicating functions of the Office for Students" and imposing "unnecessary additional costs" on unis.

Toby Young, the founder of the Free Speech Union, which coordinated the letter, said:

“The Free Speech Union gets 50 cries for help a week, many of them from students and academics who’ve got into trouble for exercising their lawful right to free speech. If this Bill is passed as it stands, the vast majority of them will be in a stronger position.

“Universities will have to defend their right to free speech, knowing they could be sued in the county court if they don’t. But if the Government bends the knee to the universities lobby and neuters the Bill, free-thinking students and academics won’t be any better off.”