The previous government’s legislation on freedom of speech may have facilitated “hate speech including Holocaust denial” to spread on university campuses, the Education Secretary has said.

Bridget Phillipson announced that the Government would be pausing the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 to consider other options including its potential repeal.

The Act was introduced by the previous Tory government and sought to place a duty to “secure” and “promote the importance of” freedom of speech and could have seen universities and student unions fined for failing to do so.

Ms Phillipson told the Commons during education questions that the Act had been put on hold “precisely because we believe in academic freedom, and it is therefore crucial that the legal framework is workable”. The Education Secretary added that the Government is “speaking with a range of stakeholders” and that “no options are off the table” in protecting academic freedom.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/free-speech-laws-could-have-led-to-holocaust-denial-on-campuses-phillipson/ar-AA1qgmka?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=aa9e9720c1df4c9ca2ca663dc58784ad&ei=31