Suella Braverman, the former home secretary of the United Kingdom, has publicly warned of a major free speech crisis in the UK and the West more generally. The news comes after she was forced to pull out of an event that would have seen her giving a speech to students.
Since when did students not want to learn?
At a glance:
- Suella Braverman, former UK Home Secretary, canceled a planned speech at Cambridge University after police advised it was unsafe due to protests organized by a pro-Palestinian group.
- Braverman claims this incident highlights a growing free speech crisis in higher education, where voices not aligned with left-wing views are being “canceled.”
- Cambridge University stated it supports free speech and was unaware of the event until after it was postponed.
Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has warned that the UK is facing a crisis of free speech, particularly in higher education, following the cancellation of her planned speech at Cambridge University. The event, which was organized by the Cambridge University Conservative Association (Cuca), was called off after the police and parliamentary security advised that it posed a risk to Braverman’s safety.
The speech was targeted by pro-Palestinian group Cambridge for Palestine, which organized protests and called for Braverman to be “no-platformed” due to her “hyper-authoritarian” policies. The group encouraged supporters to bring flags and protest her appearance at the event, leading to concerns about security.
While Braverman expressed disappointment at being “gagged” and argued that the incident represents a wider crisis in free speech on campuses, Cambridgeshire police assessed the visit as low risk. However, the Conservative Association found the costs of securing the event prohibitive, and the talk was postponed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSMpKDXPVwQ
Braverman, who has been a vocal critic of cancel culture, described the current climate in higher education as increasingly hostile to views that do not align with a particular political narrative. She noted that even politicians on the center-right, like herself, are being “vilified” and prevented from expressing their views. The former minister urged for stronger protections of free speech and academic freedom in universities.
This cancellation follows the recent decision by Labour’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to halt legislation aimed at addressing cancel culture on university campuses, sparking further debate about the state of free speech in academic institutions.
