Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill will place new duties on universities to promote free expression of ideas, beliefs and views. But on the basis of anxieties over student welfare, is the government itself encouraging academics and university administrators to decide that ‘harm’ to students justifies censoring what can be read? And what of cultural attitudes among students themselves? A recent survey from the Higher Education Policy Institute found that 86 per cent support trigger warnings and 62 per cent back safe spaces. The survey also showed over a third of students think academics should be fired if they ‘teach material that heavily offends some students’ – double the proportion reported in 2016. Are official actions and political declarations enough to tackle this seemingly engrained censoriousness amongst the young?
Filmed at the Battle of Ideas Festival by WORLDwrite volunteers, an exceptional panel of speakers share their thoughts.
The speakers are:
Anna Keenan - History of art and English literature student, University of Glasgow; writer, The New Taboo
Rod Liddle-Columnist, The Sunday Times, the Sun and the Spectator; author, The Great Betrayal; associate editor, Spectator; former editor, BBC Radio 4 Today programme
Rob Lownie-Editorial trainee, UnHerd; founding member, Free Speech Champions; contributor, Free Speech: defending the fundamental liberal value
Dr James Orr-Assistant professor of philosophy of religion, University of Cambridge
Professor Alice Sullivan-Professor of sociology, UCL Social Research Institute
The Chair is Dennis Hayes-Professor of education, University of Derby; founder and director, Academics For Academic Freedom (AFAF); author, The Death of Academic Freedom? Free speech and censorship
There were countless sound problems with this video due to AV problems at the venue beyond our control-volunteers have done what they can to clean it up. We hope it is still watchable.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill will place new duties on universities to promote free expression of ideas, beliefs and views. But on the basis of anxieties over student welfare, is the government itself encouraging academics and university administrators to decide that ‘harm’ to students justifies censoring what can be read? And what of cultural attitudes among students themselves? A recent survey from the Higher Education Policy Institute found that 86 per cent support trigger warnings and 62 per cent back safe spaces. The survey also showed over a third of students think academics should be fired if they ‘teach material that heavily offends some students’ – double the proportion reported in 2016. Are official actions and political declarations enough to tackle this seemingly engrained censoriousness amongst the young?
Filmed at the Battle of Ideas Festival by WORLDwrite volunteers, an exceptional panel of speakers share their thoughts.
The speakers are:
Anna Keenan - History of art and English literature student, University of Glasgow; writer, The New Taboo
Rod Liddle-Columnist, The Sunday Times, the Sun and the Spectator; author, The Great Betrayal; associate editor, Spectator; former editor, BBC Radio 4 Today programme
Rob Lownie-Editorial trainee, UnHerd; founding member, Free Speech Champions; contributor, Free Speech: defending the fundamental liberal value
Dr James Orr-Assistant professor of philosophy of religion, University of Cambridge
Professor Alice Sullivan-Professor of sociology, UCL Social Research Institute
The Chair is Dennis Hayes-Professor of education, University of Derby; founder and director, Academics For Academic Freedom (AFAF); author, The Death of Academic Freedom? Free speech and censorship
There were countless sound problems with this video due to AV problems at the venue beyond our control-volunteers have done what they can to clean it up. We hope it is still watchable.
