It’s time for Boris to tackle the tyrannical silencing of free speech on our campuses

Academic freedom plays a pivotal role in the recent BBC series of His Dark Materials, adapted from the bestselling books of Philip Pullman. In a world under the grip of the all-powerful Magisterium, it is the historic rights of scholars that grant the heroine refuge in Jordan College, Oxford, as well as providing the freedom for her father, Lord Asriel, to conduct the ground-breaking scientific research deemed heretical by the authorities.

Unfortunately, in modern-day Britain, some universities appear instead to be drawing their inspiration from the Magisterium, the totalitarian regime that ruthlessly enforces doctrine, suppresses free inquiry and establishes a spy network to report and discipline those who express views that oppose its teachings.

In a clear demonstration of life imitating art, this week, Sheffield University announced a scheme in which students will be paid £9.34 an hour to challenge other students who commit so-called “micro-aggressions”. Under this insidious doctrine, the most innocuous comment can be considered offensive: examples drawn up include asking someone why they are frying a banana (not realising it is a plantain). The offensiveness of such a comment is, of course, entirely subjective and dependent upon the views of the person listening: just as in the Soviet Union, accusation equalled guilt, with no need for further investigation or trial.

If you think this sounds authoritarian and sinister, you’re right. What is more concerning is that it is happening at the same university which persecuted the black Christian student Felix Ngole for posting on his Facebook account that homosexuality was a sin. In its ruling against the university last year, the court of appeal described Sheffield’s position as “lacking insight”, saying that, in its decision to expel Ngole, the university “had taken a stance that did not accord with [its own guidance] or common sense” – and yet it seems that nothing has been learnt from this.

The track record demonstrated by the Ngole case means that this latest initiative cannot easily be brushed off as a mistake by a middle-manager, but rather is evidence of a deeply rooted institutional intolerance. Given the university’s inflexible hounding of Ngole – expelled after his comments were reported by an anonymous accuser, despite no evidence of discrimination or intention to discriminate – we can only imagine the likely treatment of those reported for thought-crimes by the university’s new network of paid informants.

Research shows there is already a chilling effect on UK campuses, with polling for Policy Exchange finding that only 4 in 10 Leave-supporting students felt comfortable expressing their views in class, and significant student support for the no-platforming of figures such as Jordan Peterson and Germaine Greer. Subsequent research by King’s College London found, concerningly, that more than one in four students at British universities felt violence was an acceptable response to some forms of speech.

Many academics and students lean Left – that is a simple fact and is not, in itself, a problem. But where universities are deliberately creating a hostile environment for those with dissenting political views, the Government can and must step in to ensure our universities remain places of free expression.

It is welcome that, in its election manifesto, the Conservative Party committed to “strengthen academic freedom and free speech in universities.” The actions of Sheffield University provide additional evidence as to how badly this is needed – as well as demonstrating that threats to free speech are not simply driven by a few student radicals, but are being actively promulgated by faculty and university authorities themselves.

Policy Exchange’s recent report, “Academic Freedom in the UK”, set out a range of actions that should be taken, which we believe must include meaningful measures to maintain our universities as beacons of independent thought and free inquiry.

These include new legislation to protect free speech and academic freedom and the extension of the duty to protect free speech on to student unions. We are also calling for Britain’s higher-education regulating body, the Office for Students, to appoint an Academic Freedom Champion, with the ability to investigate complaints, follow up information from whistleblowers and impose fines on universities where necessary.

We call on the Government to implement these recommendations rapidly, fulfilling its manifesto commitment and ensuring our universities become once again the promoters, not the limiters, of free speech and independent inquiry.

Iain Mansfield is the head of education at Policy Exchange

Research by King’s College London found that more than one in four students at British universities felt violence was an acceptable response to some forms of speech