Universities must stop tiptoeing around debate – appoint free speech champions

Free speech in UK universities is like the wi-fi on campus: technically available, but good luck using it without getting kicked off. I say this after 30 years of wandering academic halls, sipping bad coffee in seminars, and politely disagreeing with people only to be labelled “problematic”.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Surely not in the land of Shakespeare, fish and chips, and passive-aggressive emails? Yes, dear reader. Article 10 of the Human Rights Act may guarantee free expression, and the 2023 Free Speech Act might have given it a fresh coat of paint. But as of August 2025, universities will officially be required to actually mean it – they will have a duty to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law, promote the importance of freedom of speech and have codes of practice to ensure the protection of free speech. Groundbreaking stuff.

The irony? You can’t say out loud that you can’t say things out loud.

These hallowed halls of debate have become arenas of tiptoeing. Say something “controversial” (ie, anything more nuanced than a motivational poster), and suddenly you’re a pariah. Taboo topics abound – Tiananmen Square? Uighur persecution? Dalit discrimination? Might as well yell “fire” in a crowded lecture theatre. Want to discuss immigration or transgender rights? Only if you enjoy career suicide as a hobby.

And then there’s the “decolonise the curriculum” movement. Great idea, in theory. Like kale smoothies. But when applied with all the grace of a sledgehammer, it turns into yet another monologue, not a conversation. Some whisper (because shouting would be too ironic) that it’s becoming the intellectual version of cancelling Christmas.

So, what’s the solution? Easy: university leaders need to grow a backbone. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Back it up with actual policies. Encourage debate. Encourage disagreement. Maybe even – brace yourself – let people be wrong without exiling them to the academic gulag.

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For years, the silent majority on campus have been, well, a bit too silent – drowned out by a handful of megaphone-wielding activists with seminar rooms for soapboxes. The result? A creeping culture of fear and disillusionment, where speaking plainly feels like career roulette. Very British, really: we queue quietly while someone sets the building on fire.

Let’s be blunt. A dusty policy PDF buried on a university intranet isn’t going to fix this. What’s needed is a full behavioural reboot – Ctrl+Alt+Delete for campus culture. That means training at every level, a genuine commitment to call out the intellectual bullies, and a willingness to say: “No, shouting someone down isn’t discourse – it’s just loud.”

Want to debate anything legal? Good. You should be able to – without risking public shaming or professional annihilation. Because right now, for many lecturers, teaching certain topics feels like walking a tightrope over a pit of emails from HR. One wrong phrase and it’s game over. Welcome to academia, sponsored by the Sword of Damocles.

And yes, students are now paying customers. But that doesn’t make them immune to reality. If you’re allergic to opposing viewpoints, you might want to rethink spending £9,250 a year (or much, much more) at an institution built on questioning things. In fact, let’s be honest in the brochure: Warning – this university contains ideas you might not like. This shouldn’t be in any way controversial either. In fact, it should be a compelling marketing hook that attracts inquisitive minds. 

Here’s a radical thought: every university should appoint a free speech champion: someone senior, with actual clout, not just a lanyard and a LinkedIn post. Let’s have annual awards for courageous discourse. Hand out medals at graduation not just for best dissertation, but for best defence of dialogue. It shouldn’t be a rebellious act to say what you think.

Because here’s the thing: free speech shouldn’t be a revolutionary idea in a university. It should be Tuesday. And if we don’t fix this soon, higher education won’t be higher. It’ll just be quieter – and not in the good, library way.

Mark Butterick is a lecturer in human resource management and management consulting at the University of Leeds.

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