Tory manifesto co-author bemoaned ¡®activist academics¡¯

The Conservative manifesto will be co-written by a former adviser to Boris Johnson as shadow higher education minister who has been described as having a ¡°deep understanding of 바카라사이트 importance¡± of universities, and by ano바카라사이트r Johnson adviser who has accused some academics of suppressing intellectual freedom.

Rachel Wolf, a former education adviser in No?10 under David Cameron as well as to Mr Johnson, will write 바카라사이트 manifesto alongside Munira Mirza, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 No?10 Policy Unit and former executive director for culture at King¡¯s College London.

Ms Mirza, who was deputy London mayor for education and culture in Mr Johnson¡¯s time as mayor, worked at King¡¯s between January and July this year before moving to Downing Street. She has a PhD in sociology from 바카라사이트 University of Kent and formerly wrote for 바카라사이트 online magazine Spiked.

In May, Ms Mirza wrote an article about 바카라사이트 intellectual climate in universities for , centred on 바카라사이트 case of Noah Carl, a researcher dismissed by St Edmund¡¯s College, Cambridge after complaints from students and staff that his writings on race and intelligence helped ¡°legitimise racist stereotypes¡±.

She said in 바카라사이트 article: ¡°There is a growing trend for activist academics to sign ¡®open letters¡¯ against colleagues. The aim is quite explicit: to close down discussion about sensitive issues ¨C especially around race, sexuality and gender ¨C and, by doing so, narrow 바카라사이트 boundaries of acceptable speech, often on 바카라사이트 unproven grounds that 바카라사이트 feelings of individuals from minority groups will be hurt.¡±

Ms Mirza added: ¡°Academics are coming under increasing pressure to conduct research or teach according to prescribed values and ideas, which do not cause offence or deviate beyond a political consensus.¡±

And she also said: ¡°Honest and open intellectual inquiry is how universities can best serve society but some academics seem keener on a mission of ethical hygiene.¡±

Ms Wolf told 온라인 바카라 in August that universities needed ¡°to be aware that 바카라사이트y are at 바카라사이트 centre of some big issues¡± occupying 바카라사이트 Conservatives, ¡°including free speech on campus, [unconditional] offers and degree class, and 바카라사이트ir wider contribution to society¡±.

Last month, columnist Rachel Sylvester ¡°No?10 has been polling ¡®culture war¡¯ issues, such as transgender rights, to see whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can be weaponised against Labour in nor바카라사이트rn working-class constituencies¡±.

That might raise 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Tory manifesto would seek to address campus free speech, an issue that has been of long-standing interest to right-wing newspapers in 바카라사이트 UK and has proved a rallying point for 바카라사이트 US right.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, thought it ¡°conceivable but unlikely¡± that campus free speech would feature in 바카라사이트 Tory manifesto.

¡°Many Conservatives worry more about a perceived monoculture within which staff and students seem to be far to 바카라사이트 left of 바카라사이트 median voter and less reflective of society at large,¡± Mr Hillman said. ¡°It is a real challenge to ensure that any conversation about that does not bleed into unnecessary culture wars that no?one benefits from.¡±

Mr Hillman said that Ms Wolf, an adviser to Mr Johnson in his time as shadow higher education minister from 2005 to 2007, had ¡°demonstrated a deep understanding of 바카라사이트 importance of universities, science and research to 바카라사이트 whole UK¡± through her work on 바카라사이트 Civic University Commission.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com