Double standards on free speech

[nettie434]

Heard Louise Richardson, Vice Chancellor of Oxford University, being interviewed on R4 about the donation from Steven Schwarzman, Private Equity billionaire.

She was asked if he was a suitable donor because of his links to Donald Trump. She replied that respect for different points of view was what universities were all about.

Not questioning the donation - it was the reference to free speech in the context of no platforming and attacks on women like the signatories to the Sunday Times letter that irritated me.

I have a dim recollection of her being very strong (in a free speech way) when that whole 'Rhodes Must Fall' thing was going on.

That's interesting Freespeecher. Thanks. I know Selina Todd and Michael Biggs were among the signatories to the Sunday Times letter about Stonewall so perhaps that is a good sign too?

I believe Louise Richardson has been consistently supportive of free speech in relation to a variety of issues.

Yes. She made some very pithy remarks about some of the students involved in the Rhodes issue. Her basic message was, grow up and act like you desrve an Oxbridge education.

She replied that respect for different points of view huge wodges of cash was what universities were all about.

Fixed that for you

Seriously though, I haven't heard of oxford doing much no-platforming? Willing to be corrected on that.

Didn't they recently have an abortion debate No Platformed?

They will have had a number of NPs as the NUS adopted it as policy in the 70s. It's just used more often more loudly, these days. ALl that virtue signalling that needs to be done!

www.spiked-online.com/2015/02/02/oxford-abortion-and-the-closing-of-the-western-mind/

Fixed that for you
Theheathenofsuburbia

Interested to read about Louise Richardson specifically so thanks for the replies. Jenni Murray was no platformed by a student group and there was a fuss when Michael Bigg's twitter account with a pseudonym was hacked. I haven't got a sense of whether no platforming is similar to other universities.

in the context of no platforming

I'm pleased to say that I work in a university which now (it didn't always) has a no no-platforming policy.

Which leads to other problems; for example, we have to permit known racists to speak on campus. Although it's made clear that if there's any illegal hate speech, events will be shut down.

Of course, this doesn't help sexist or misogynist hate speech, as that's not covered by the legislation because if it were, we'd need to quadruple the police force

That’s great Beans. Was it introduced in response to any particular controversy or pressure?