Professor condemns MP’S Brexit-tutor request

‘We have had some lecturers who have already felt intimidated’

A city academic has accused a Conservative MP of attempting to restrain free debate after he wrote to universities asking for the names of tutors teaching students about Brexit.

Professor Amelia Hadfield, a specialist in European studies at Canterbury Christ Church University, was responding to the revelation that government whip Chris Heaton-harris had asked universities for the details.

Prof Hadfield says his intervention has added to the intimidation already felt by some lecturers about what they could say.

“One of the key foundations for universities is a dedicated commitment to free speech and within the Brexit debate, being able to have an open lively and vibrant debate,”she said.

“We are not going to have that if we shut down debate, and universities and professors feel in any way that what they are saying is limited or censored.

“To be honest, I think we have had some lecturers who have already felt intimidated. It goes back a year to the referendum and then the election.

“Let’s not forget that universities and particularly lecturers who specialise in teaching international and European affairs were accused of being ‘remoaners’ and unpatriotic and not teaching objectively.”

Despite the government moving quickly to say the MP had acted on his own, Prof Hadfield says the intervention of the MP will “ratchet up the tension” and that the debate is becoming too polarised.

“Kent is a frontline county and we have longer and deeper relations with the EU on a whole range of issues, from regional funding to exchanges,” she said. “We have a responsibility to react clearly and objectively to threats to academic teaching.”

Mr Heaton-harris also asked vicechancellors for a copy of their syllabus and any online lectures on Brexit.

The University of Kent was asked to comment but said the issue was being dealt with by Universities UK.

Prof Amelia Hadfield