Shame on the ‘spinelessness’ of silent staff
Historian slams woke academics
SCOTLAND’S leading historian has condemned the ‘spinelessness’ of woke academics at one of the country’s top universities.
Sir Tom Devine spoke out after the Mail revealed the University of Edinburgh suffered an income slump of nearly £2million after a slavery row.
The university’s David Hume Tower was renamed over the Scots philosopher’s alleged slavery links, sparking a backlash among academics.
Sir Tom said some university staff had remained silent, while a ‘very tiny minority of courageous scholars’ had attacked the woke culture at the institution.
The historian, a professor emeritus at the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘I very much hope that this financial information [the income slump] will drive a new direction in the university’s policies on these issues.
‘With regret, however, I doubt whether this will happen. To
‘Courageous minority’
retreat from its position would be akin to accepting defeat on a major issue of public concern and that both this current principal and his senior managers would never accept.
‘Future historians, however, will note their spinelessness – so, too, will they be aware of the abject silence from the vast majority of University of Edinburgh staff on these matters.
‘Only a very tiny minority of courageous scholars in the institution have bravely spoken out against the unacceptable decisions of their university.
‘They deserved to be remembered in honour; their silent colleagues, on the other hand, will have to live with their consciences for a long time to come.’
The fall in income came following a row over Hume’s alleged slavery links and discriminatory comments made in 1742 – but university chiefs blamed the pandemic for the slump.
Social anthropologist Dr Neil
Thin withdrew from teaching as a senior lecturer after he spoke out against the decision and was hounded and falsely smeared by student activists.
He was cleared last year of any wrongdoing after a university inquiry and now campaigns for tolerance and promotion of free speech on campuses. But it has emerged 24 donations and 12 legacies to the university have been ‘cancelled, amended or withdrawn in response to the renaming’.
The total raised by the university’s development and alumni department in 2021-22 was £21.4million, down from £23.3million the previous year. Last night, a University of Edinburgh spokesman said: ‘We are on track this year to see the second highest total of funds ever raised for the university, and want to renew our thanks to all of our donors who support lifechanging research and vital scholarships for our students.’