“Labour has just betrayed a generation of young people,” writes Baroness Claire Fox for the Telegraph, in the wake of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s written statement to the House of Commons last week, announcing her intention to “pause” the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act.
This vital piece of legislation was due to come into force on 1st August, having received cross-party support during the last Parliament. Baroness Fox continues: “I had to read her statement several times to believe it, thinking at first it might be an anti-Labour “deep fake” designed to imply that the new government is callously indifferent not just to free speech, but the democratic process itself.
“When the Act passed last year, ultimately with cross-party support, I let out a loud sigh of relief rather than a cheer. It had taken months of exhausting arguments, hours of speeches, and the watering down of amendments just to modestly enhance the academic freedom duty on universities. This would allow a complaints scheme for students, staff and visiting speakers, who could seek compensation if they suffered a breach of a university’s obligations, and allowed fines or sanctions for higher education providers and student unions if they transgressed.
“Despite all of this hard work, Phillipson has with undue haste speedily threatened to cancel a law itself designed to counter cancel culture. She didn’t even bother telling parliament face-to-face from the dispatch box, which would have at least allowed some push-back or heckles of “shame”, instead preferring that favoured messaging device of pen-pushers – a written communique from on high, on the eve of parliamentary summer recess.
“Like all good bureaucrats, Phillipson has exploited a loophole: the Act was democratically passed, but commencement – usually a technicality – was cynically manipulated in an act of bad-faith betrayal.
“I had originally been surprised at how much visceral opposition there was to a liberalising law from the usually achingly liberal “great and the good” in the Lords. That was until I realised that so many of them were vice chancellors, college heads or university trustees. It seems that the vested interests, lobbying behind the scenes, have now prevailed having initially lost the debate in the chambers of democracy.”
Worth reading in full.
At the Free Speech Union, we’ve been taking advice on a range of legal options about the Government’s shocking decision to sabotage the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, and without wishing to tip our hand, it’s safe to say Bridget Phillipson will be hearing from us shortly. The bottom line is we intend to fight this wanton act of vandalism with all we’ve got, but to do so we need to raise as much money as possible.
So, if you’re reading this article as one of our supporters, now is the time to step off the sidelines, join the fight and become a dues-paying FSU member (to do that, click here).
Members and supporters alike can also donate to our Legal Fighting Fund (click here).
