We 'lefty woke' students need Rishi Sunak's 'free speech tsar' as much as those on the right ✒️ Anvee Bhutanii for ipaperviews
. Ken Loach’s invitation to St Peter’s College sparked weeks of student outcry and led to an apology to Jewish students.
While I understand the concerns and pain surrounding these visits, I don’t think blocking or shutting out their views is the best way forward or use of our time. It’s for this reason that I think a “free speech tsar” would be a great thing., the tsar will reportedly have powers to investigate claims of no-platforming on campuses and develop a new complaints scheme for students, staff and visiting speakers.
I’d like the free speech tsar to serve as an advocate for the inclusion of diverse perspectives on campus, and work to ensure that all voices are given a fair hearing. I’d also like to see them act as a mediator in situations where free speech rights come into conflict with other important values, such as inclusivity and anti-discrimination.
Universities are often faced with difficult questions about how to balance the competing interests of free speech and anti-discrimination. A free speech tsar can serve as a neutral third party who can help navigate these complex issues and find solutions that respect the rights of all parties involved.
I strongly believe that preserving free speech as the lifeblood of a university is a value that should be accepted universally, irrespective of political affiliation. It is a sign of a healthy democratic society for people to be able to have public disagreements and challenge views. Should this not be preserved, it creates a slippery slope for intellectual vitality. Universities cannot pander to “cancel culture” and a free speech tsar would help embed this into their consciousness.
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