1.0The Free Speech Unionhttps://freespeechunion.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="kOsaBUtrS4"><a href="https://freespeechunion.org/letter-to-the-education-secretary-about-the-higher-education-freedom-of-speech-bill/">Letter to the Education Secretary About the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://freespeechunion.org/letter-to-the-education-secretary-about-the-higher-education-freedom-of-speech-bill/embed/#?secret=kOsaBUtrS4" width="600" height="338" title="“Letter to the Education Secretary About the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill” — The Free Speech Union" data-secret="kOsaBUtrS4" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> The Free Speech Union pulled together a letter from over 50 academics urging the Government not to water down the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords. The reason for the letter is because there was strong opposition in the Lords during the Bill’s Committee Stage to clause 4 which would create a new statutory tort enabling students and academics to sue their universities if they breach the new free speech duties in the Bill. We are worried that the Government will now drop or amend clause 4 and without that enforcement mechanism the Bill will be toothless. You can read an article about the letter in the Telegraph here.https://freespeechunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Transparent-Logo-e1687249342148.png350130