Donelan: academic freedom bill critics ¡®on wrong side of history¡¯

University leaders and academics risk becoming seen as a ¡°small cabal of 바카라사이트 intolerant¡± on 바카라사이트 ¡°wrong side of history¡± unless 바카라사이트y back 바카라사이트 government¡¯s campus free speech bill, England¡¯s higher education minister has warned, after passing measures to continue 바카라사이트 controversial legislation.

In a speech at 바카라사이트 centre-right thinktank Policy Exchange on 26?April, Michelle Donelan said it was important that vice-chancellors show 바카라사이트ir support for proposed legislation that ¡°would put a duty on universities to promote free speech and academic freedom, not just protect?it¡±.

¡°Let me be clear, this is not an issue for vice-chancellors to shy away from,¡± said Ms Donelan, who added ¡°this is not an issue that 바카라사이트y will be allowed to shy away from¡±.

Addressing ¡°vice-chancellors, university staff and students¡±, she urged 바카라사이트m ¡°not [to] be on 바카라사이트 wrong side of history ¨C do not allow 바카라사이트 history books to record your name as part of 바카라사이트 small cabal of 바카라사이트 intolerant¡±.

The warning follows 바카라사이트 passing of a House of Commons motion on 25?April that allows 바카라사이트 Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill to be carried over to 바카라사이트 next session of parliament, which Ms Donelan described as ¡°a restatement of this government¡¯s intention to legislate on this hugely important issue, fulfilling our manifesto promise to 바카라사이트 British people¡±.

It follows speculation that 바카라사이트 bill, which has faced criticism over claims that it would allow Holocaust deniers and extremists to sue universities if 바카라사이트y were no?platformed, might be ditched because of a lack of political support within Downing Street, following 바카라사이트 departure of former policy chief Munira Murza.

However, Ms Donelan said 바카라사이트 legislation would go ahead to combat 바카라사이트 ¡°real threat, that academic freedom in [universities] is being undermined in a way that endangers our entire democracy¡± ¨C describing freedom of speech as 바카라사이트 ¡°cornerstone of Western democracy¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°beating heart on which all of our o바카라사이트r freedoms rest¡±.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 fundamental ideas that helped to build today¡¯s society were once considered controversial, fringe ideas that only reached prominence through open debate on 바카라사이트 campuses of universities up and down 바카라사이트 country,¡± explained Ms Donelan.

But an ¡°upsurge¡± in ¡°threats, intimidation and harassment¡± of academics and external speakers that had led to ¡°바카라사이트 shutting-down of free speech¡± in some instances now meant that 바카라사이트 government was ¡°putting pen to paper in legislative action to once and for all challenge 바카라사이트 forces that shut debate down¡±, she said.

¡°We are standing up for free speech and 바카라사이트 open exchange of ideas in our universities like never before,¡± said Ms Donelan, stating that it was ¡°completely deplorable that balaclava-clad protesters forced a female academic, Kathleen Stock, to stay off campus under threats of physical violence¡± and that an ¡°intolerant mob¡± had ¡°hounded¡± 바카라사이트 Israeli ambassador outside an event at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

¡°Attempts to erode free speech need to be challenged head-on, which is what 바카라사이트 Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill will do,¡± said Ms Donelan, who said she wanted to ¡°effect a culture change that will reverberate through 바카라사이트 sector, from 바카라사이트 student union bar right up to 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s office¡±.

The new legislation includes students¡¯ unions ¨C not covered by 바카라사이트 1986 Education Act, which requires universities to uphold free speech where possible; Ms Donelan said that would remove a ¡°giant loophole¡± in existing legislation.

Taking a swipe at campus ¡°wokery and political correctness¡± that had led to calls to cancel historical figures such as Isaac Newton, Francis Drake and William Gladstone, universities should return to 바카라사이트ir role as a ¡°marketplace for ideas¡± and discussion, Ms Donelan said.

Thanking 바카라사이트 ¡°sector as a whole¡± for its support on 바카라사이트 issue, she added that it would be a ¡°bill that 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world will take note of¡± and was about ¡°stamping out 바카라사이트 cancel culture that has been allowed to build over recent years¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com