The likely repeal of England’s free speech act is a tragedy

The reasons given for delaying/abandoning the 23 Act are not credible - in terms of it being a supposedly intolerable extra burden, for instance, s43 of the 86 Act largely imposed similar FS duties (eg having a Code of Practice) and as we have been advising Us since the 1990s editions of our texts on HE law. If the Government caves into the unholy alliance of the UCU and the UUK on this issue, the OfS (now urged by the Behan Review to be more independent of DfE dictat) could decide to make proper compliance with s43 a governance condition and hence operate a FS complaints scheme as was to be set up under the 23 Act - and keep the FS Tsar occupied!

It wouldn't be a burden on institutions, legislation in this area would make it easier to manage. What is the point of higher education without free speech. The UK is losing its brand of providing top quality education. 'A recent investigation by Alumni for Free Speech found that universities spend over 200 times as much on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) as on free speech protection' - this says it all

"In the aftermath of Phillipson’s decision, government sources have claimed that the act would have forced universities to platform Holocaust deniers. This is simply false. The act defined freedom of speech according to the European Convention of Human Rights, whose Article 17 excludes protection for Holocaust denial." So the central claims of Holocaust studies are not going to be evaluated in English or Welsh universities?