Labour has been blasted over the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s decision to axe the Free Speech Act – a bill that encourages debate and free expression in our increasingly left-wing universities. Today Phillipson announced:
“The Free Speech Act introduced last year is not fit for purpose and risked imposing serious burdens on our world class universities. This legislation could expose students to harm and appalling hate speech on campuses. That is why I have quickly ordered this legislation to be stopped.”
The Free Speech Union were quick to slam the “shocking” plans, with general secretary Toby Young promising they will pursue a judicial review if the cross-party approved law is blocked. Young nailed it:
“The government [is]…effectively declaring war on free speech…For all Sir Keir Starmer’s talk about human rights, he clearly doesn’t care about the most important human right of all, which is the right to free speech.”
Unsurprisingly, the National Union of Students welcomed repealing what they call the “dangerous ‘culture wars legislation’.” Every joke is a tiny revolution…
Starmer loyalist and Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Starmer should not be replaced:
“We saw what the Tories did. They were in power for 14 years, and after 2016, I think we had nine education secretaries, seven chancellors, and five Prime Ministers. Doomscrolling through Prime Ministers doesn’t resolve the problem.”