Labour has U-turned over university free speech as it brings back a Tory law clamping down on ‘woke’ cancel culture – but removes its “teeth” by dropping the ability of academics to sue their institutions. The Mail has more.
Labour told woke students they cannot “shut down” debate on university campuses today as ministers U-turned and revived a Tory law protecting freedom of speech.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed she would bring in most sections of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 after a major revolt by academics.
The law’s introduction was paused after Labour’s election win in July, with sources branding it a “Tory hate charter” and suggesting it could be repealed entirely.
It acted against “cancel culture” on campuses after a wave of protests targeting people with controversial views on issues including gender ideology.
Campuses across the U.K. were the site of protests over the past few years.
But Ms. Phillipson told MPs today the pause would be ended, saying that “fundamental freedoms” had to be protected.
“These fundamental freedoms are much more important than the wishes of some students not to be offended,” she said.
“University is a place for ideas to be exposed and debated, to be tried and tested .. it is not a place for students to shut down any idea with which they disagree.” …
However, Ministers will remove part of the legislation that would allow academics to seek damages from their university for impingement of their freedom of speech. …
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott today said: “Given Labour used to call this a ‘hate speech charter”, I’m glad they’ve now U-turned.
“However, for this Bill to have teeth it must have the statutory tort included. We will always fight to protect free speech on campus.”
Worth reading in full.
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Another concession to the corporate takeover of academia. You have turned it into something ugly from something beautiful in the space of three decades. You have no capacity for truth or beauty and you shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near learning. I hope we can banish you.
Just please stay away if you have no feeling for beauty. Dostoevsky said that beauty would save the world.
Now if wew can just get labour to drop the Net Zero lunacy and reverse the recent Budget…
Two steps forward, one step back. David Icke & Jordan Peterson have talked of these tactics.
“These fundamental freedoms are much more important than the wishes of some students not to be offended,” she said.
It’s good to even hear the Labour Education Secretary say that.
Probably with a forked tongue, as they say.
Toby, does that mean the FSU legal case is ended?
What does this legislation achieve without ‘the teeth’?
It’s not what was voted for and it sets a precedent that tweaks can be made or laws ‘reinterpreted’ at whim.
I feel we should insist that the original act (as voted for) is enacted.
Exactly, it won’t stop the cancel culture!
So they intend to “police” speech in pubs …. with Landlords liable to be prosecuted if they “permit” a customer to say something an employee deems offensive.
But they now say free speech in Universities must be allowed, but will not permit a means to enforce it.
And they say they’re all in favour of “fundamental freedoms.”
So I guess that means it will be OK if I criticise Islam, since it’s a fundamental freedom to criticise religion/s/
From what I remember, around 20% of Muslims sympathised with the Charlie Hebdo massacre.