Free Speech Complaints Scheme Debate
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Lord Bird
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Free Speech Complaints Scheme
Lord Bird Excerpts(1 day, 11 hours ago)
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Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)
The noble Baroness is right that the freezing of tuition fees by the previous Government put considerable financial strain on the university sector, which is why I am sure she will support this Government in our inflation-linked increases to tuition fees in order to fund universities. There is no point willing the ends if you are not willing to will the means.
Lord Bird (CB)
Can we include criticism of the actions of Israel in Gaza in the freedom of speech argument, because there are many of us who are being silenced by it?
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)
I have not seen much evidence that the noble Lord is being silenced, but it remains an important part of free speech provisions to be able to protest legitimately—but not, of course, to harass or to promote antisemitism on campus. It is completely clear that that is the case, and there is a clear distinction between the two.