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Labour had raised concerns over comments made by universities minister Michelle Donelan (pictured) during a BBC Radio 4 interview, in which she was asked about how the reforms would impact upon the ability of Holocaust deniers to speak on campuses
Speaking during the Queen s Speech debate, Mr Williamson added: We know that anti-Semitic activity and anti-Semitism are not to be tolerated.
Academics and politicians who have been cancelled at UK universities
Universities have been dogged in the past few years by campaigns to block appearances from figures seen as controversial by some students and staff.
Well-known and highly respected speakers - such as celebrated feminist Germaine Greer and Former Women s Hour host Jenni Murray - have had to cancel appearances at top universities over allegations they were racist, transphobic or homophobic.
Professor Peter Mathieson has created an intolerant and illiberal cancel culture
Lecturers at Edinburgh University are left feeling unable to speak out, staff claim
Comes after investigation into lecturer Neil Thin who students blasted as racist
One professor at Edinburgh university said countless others support Dr Thin
But they fear doing so publicly due to potential backlash from others at the uni
An Oxford University professor today accused college institutions of dismal failure over freedom of speech - and claimed they cynically adopted diversity policies as a badge for marketing.
Professor Selina Todd, 47, spoke as the government announced plans for a free speech champion to ensure universities in England do not stifle it.
But academic Prof Todd, who teaches modern history at Oxford, questioned whether it would have any effect given recent events.
The professor - who was no-platformed herself after lobbying by trans activists over her views on gender- said universities saying they uphold free speech was incompatible with some diversity policies they had adopted.
The Oxford Pride parade 2019. Dozens of transgender people join the annual event. Picture: Richard Cave AN OXFORD historian is embarked on a project to prove it is ‘essential’ that ‘sex’ is protected as the only legal definition of a woman. Selina Todd is hoping to stop people from being allowed to choose their own gender under the Equality Act. She warns that if people can legally change their gender it will make it impossible to collect viable data about differences between men and women in society, such as salaries. Her precise aims have been revealed after a Freedom of Information request for her funding application to Oxford University for the project.