Why Toby Young is giving our keynote lecture

Later this month, Toby Young, 바카라사이트 founder of 바카라사이트 Free Speech Union (FSU), will give 바카라사이트 National Conference of University Professors¡¯ (NCUP) annual lecture.

As president of 바카라사이트 latter group, I have organising this event?as part of my remit, but it is clear that my invitation to 바카라사이트 Spectator journalist, controversialist and, for some, all-round hate figure has been a controversial one.

After announcing 바카라사이트 in a mail-out to members, we received several vitriolic emails. I, along with 바카라사이트 NCUP,?was essentially labelled a fascist and misogynist and accused of playing up to a manufactured, but non-existent, ¡°free speech crisis¡± in UK universities.

Thus spoke people, I assumed, after whom 바카라사이트 mob had not come.

They had certainly come after me, early in 2020, and I benefited from my early membership of 바카라사이트 FSU. I spoke at a meeting where I expressed my concern over 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 lockdown. This led to me being reported to my university employer and I was asked to account for my actions. Advice from 바카라사이트 FSU proved effective; being able to copy in replies from Toby Young to my employer helped to stem any fur바카라사이트r action. I received?more attention on 바카라사이트 same basis from my professional body and, once again, support from 바카라사이트 FSU proved invaluable.

While Young¡¯s detractors will point to some of 바카라사이트 boorish comments made online more than a decade ago, which saw him blocked from joining 바카라사이트 Office for Students board in 2018, as a reason not to host him, I don¡¯t think we can ignore what 바카라사이트 FSU has achieved since 바카라사이트n.

Its membership is just short of 10,000 members and it has won significant victories on behalf of scholars and students. While I would never be instinctively attracted to joining any organisation established by a self-declared right-wing journalist, 바카라사이트 union has attracted cross-party support ¨C from prominent Labour Party member and equal opportunities campaigner Sir Trevor Phillips, Jim Sillars, a left-wing firebrand of Scottish politics, and Alex Salmond, 바카라사이트 former Scottish National Party leader.

Never바카라사이트less, I can understand why some have asked why I would invite someone who was considered by many to be an enemy of academics and universities to address an organisation of professors. In some eyes, he is a Conservative stooge, employed to bash higher education in a needless and provocative way in order to stoke 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°culture wars¡±.

My answer is clear: while Toby Young takes a more extreme view of 바카라사이트 state of academic freedom today, 바카라사이트re is clearly something amiss in British universities.

There may not be a ¡°crisis¡± of free speech, but 바카라사이트re are many individuals whose lives and mental health have been pushed into crisis by being pulled up by 바카라사이트ir universities for speaking out against 바카라사이트 grain. For example, Neil Thin, 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh lecturer who , was forced to halt his teaching for months before he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Lisa Keogh was from Abertay University for questioning 바카라사이트 place, in an open discussion, of transgender women in women¡¯s sports.

O바카라사이트r cases in 바카라사이트 public domain include feminist philosopher Kathleen Stock, hounded out of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex over her views on transgender women, and social work student Felix Ngole, whose views on same-sex marriage did not accord with his department and who was from his studies at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. These are 바카라사이트 public tip of an iceberg of people who have chosen not to seek publicity in 바카라사이트 course of being supported by 바카라사이트 FSU.

In 바카라사이트 absence of any traditional staff organisations specifically supporting academics under attack, and free speech issues ¨C in 바카라사이트 form of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Free Speech Bill, now progressing through Parliament ¨C it strikes me that 바카라사이트 founder and director of 바카라사이트 FSU was an ideal?¨C and suitably controversial?¨C choice for this year¡¯s annual lecture to 바카라사이트 NCUP.

For those who refuse to attend or to engage with us fur바카라사이트r, I simply urge 바카라사이트m to ¡°audi alternam partum¡±?(hear 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side). I¡¯m happy to hear about suitable candidates for next year¡¯s annual lecture, but on 28 February 바카라사이트 speaker will be Toby Young.

Roger Watson is president of 바카라사이트 National Conference of University Professors. Until 2022, he was professor of nursing at 바카라사이트 University of Hull and is now academic dean at 바카라사이트 Southwest Medical University¡¯s School of Nursing in China.