Government set to reintroduce controversial university free speech law

15 comments

1. This would be a surprising move given Labour are anything but pro free speech.

2. This is absolutely the right thing to do in my opinion. Couple of reasons right off the bat…

   1. In 2009, Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP appears on question time. There were protestors outside the building trying to prevent his appearance. If those protesters had gotten their way, it is entirely possible that the BNP would still be some form of political force in the UK. Instead, Griffin appeared, looked an absolute fucking fool and ended his political career and that of his party, by about 10PM that same evening.
   2. It is the most dangerous idea in the history of human politics to hold to the belief that “the people” are so susceptible to what they hear, that they must be protected from “dangerous opinions”. Every brutal authoritarian regime in human history has had this as a major part of their dogma. Yes, I know that *you* think you can be trusted to decide the things that absolutely are dangerous an odious with no redeeming qualities and can be safely silenced. My newsflash is that so does everybody else. I can more or less promise you that you hold some kind of view that somebody would silence if they could. If you don’t think so, I would just ask you if you belong to *all* of the religions…. because that alone…

   So called, “free speech absolutism” is, akin to the old quote about democracy, it is the worst model, except for all the others. In my view at least.

3. “Controversial free speech law”

   Do these people just think that people just stop saying the controversial things when they aren’t around to listen? The only thing that speech censoring does is stop those that could oppose it, having the opportunity to oppose it.

4. Lol its hillarious how parties rail against something…put a stop to it…then a few months later dust it off and do it anyway.

   I don’t see why a holocaust denier shouldn’t be able to speak on campus tbh. They would get absolutely humiliated and shown to be the fools they are.

   People think this new generation are pathetic and useless…that they csnt handle big ideas cause they are all snowflake losers….many are…but that’s so with all generations. The majority are happy to kick it will big ideas and speak out on bull shit.

   We need to stop pandering to this tiny minority of professionally offended people. Most of us as adults.

5. Free speech in higher education settings should be protected at all costs, this law is a good thing.

   If our students and their teachers cannot discuss controversial or offensive topics and viewpoints, we’ll never be able to challenge the status quo.

   University is a place for free thought, ideas and debate in the pursuit of truth. Fuck anyone who tries to take that away.

6. Finally I can start saying the N-word at university again.

7. The right thing to do, if true. Though, I wonder how Labour will be looking to explain this screeching U-turn after denouncing the bill so strongly in the first place? Either way it’s a truly remarkable Damascene conversion! Maybe, Phillipson ought to consider her position too if her political instincts are so compromised?

8. I think that improving free speech policy is a pretty necessary move in order to neuter Reform. It’s also the correct thing to do.

9. The bill is designed to give free speech to people who don’t know what free speech is.

10. Why is there this obsession with university campuses?

11. Finally a bit of common sense from this labour government.

12. How are all the comments in support of this, when all the comments about some speaker getting cancelled is like “yeah, scum like that shouldn’t be allowed on campus”

    Wtf

13. I think it’s kinda redundant. I’m at uni right now and people can say how they feel freely. I think a lot of so-called free speech advocates just want to say whatever they feel like without anyone thinking worse of them for it.

14. Love to hear the opinions of people who haven’t set foot on a campus in 30 years on if it’s ok to let nazis scream abuse at students in facilities we have to provide

15. Love how when Labour pass a law that aligns with the right in the culture wars, they suddenly become ‘government’.

Comments are closed.