Universities watchdog gives top job to activist who’s ‘anti free speech’
The new universities watchdog has recruited an adviser accused of suppressing free speech after lobbying against a former Archbishop of Canterbury over gay marriage.
The office for Students (ofS) yesterday appointed Benjamin hunt who ran a campaign to have a poster of Lord Carey removed from King’s College London.
The watchdog is already in the spotlight over the controversial appointment to its board of journalist and free schools pioneer Toby Young who posted sexist tweets several years ago.
Mr hunt was president of the students’ union at King’s when he campaigned against Lord Carey, saying it was not right to ‘celebrate’ someone with his views against gay marriage. The poster, in a line-up of famous former students, was taken down in 2016.
Mr hunt was accused at the time of attempting to shut down legitimate debate, with one academic labelling him the ‘Gaystapo’.
his appointment to the ofS will raise further eyebrows since part of its remit will be to ensure universities allow a wide range of views to be heard.
The universities minister, Jo Johnson, has said institutions will face fines and even the prospect of being deregistered if they do not tackle censorship on campus.
Yesterday Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for real education, questioned how commit- ted Mr hunt was to free speech. he said: ‘Central to British values, being promoted by Government, is respect for those whose views may differ from one’s own. This means mutual respect between supporters and opponents of gay marriage.’
Mr hunt will be on the ofS student panel which will advise the board when the ofS becomes fully operational in April. The ofS said the panel will consider how best to ensure its work is relevant to ‘students from all backgrounds’.
Nicola dandridge, chief executive of the ofS, said of Mr hunt’s appointment: ‘The panel’s strength will be in the diverse range of opinions its members will be able to offer.’ Mr hunt was leader of his university’s Liberation Association for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
his campaign against Lord Carey came after the former archbishop was quoted as saying that same-sex relationships ‘should not be put on the same level’ as heterosexual unions.
Lord Carey’s office said yesterday: ‘Lord Carey said he had no personal ambition to be included in the line-up at King’s but was concerned about what signal the move would send out about the status of free speech in the universities especially in a period when it is under exceptional attack.’
In the Commons yesterday Mr Johnson defended Mr Young as an ‘ eloquent supporter of free speech’.
‘Diverse range of opinions’