Universities should not be ‘safe spaces’ – Harman

UNIVERSITIES should never be ‘safe spaces’ for students as this puts free speech at risk, Harriet Harman has said.

A report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which she chairs, found free expression is hampered on campuses across the country due to a new form of intolerance among students.

The study found youngsters have been trying to shut down talks by controversial speakers with ‘unpopular ideas’ simply because they might offend someone.

In some cases, student unions have been stopping events entirely – while in others protesters have violently shut them down. ‘Safe space’ policies have been adopted by many student unions in a bid to create ‘an environment on campus free from harassment and fear’, the report said. But in reality it has resulted in unions trying to shut down people with unfashionable or unpopular views, such as prolife, humanist and secular groups, the report warned. It said such censorship was ‘unacceptable’ because the free exchange of ideas – as long as they comply with the law – is ‘vital in universities’.

The report said: ‘The whole of the university cannot be a “safe space”. Universities must be places where open debate can take place so that students can develop their own opinions on unpopular, controversial or provocative ideas.

‘Groups or individuals holding unpopular opinions which are within the law should not be shut down nor be subject to undue additional scrutiny by student unions or universities.’

Former Labour frontbencher Miss Harman, who has been a women’s campaigner all her life, said: ‘Freedom of speech within the law should mean just that – and it is vital in universities.’

The committee, which is made up of MPs and peers, found that students generally supported the idea of free speech. But they also found evidence of youngsters who had tried to get unions to ban speakers using ‘safe space’ policies. It comes after so-called antifascist masked protesters stormed a student event at King’s College London and punched a security guard this month.

Chris Hale, director of policy at Universities UK, said: ‘Universities are absolutely committed to promoting and securing free speech and will not allow legitimate speech to be stifled. We will look at the advice of the committee in this area and how it can complement the already-extensive experience of managing such events and policies universities have in place.’