Labor was criticized for getting rid of university freedom of speech laws.

Over 500 professors have strongly criticized the Labour Party for getting rid of a rule that was meant to protect free speech in UK universities. Some well-known people, like evolutionary scientist Richard Dawkins and historian Niall Ferguson, wrote an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson asking the government to bring back the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act (HEFOSA). The act, which was supposed to go into effect in August, was meant to protect students’ right to say what they think about the law on college campuses.

The letter says that the choice to end HEFOSA shows a faulty view that UK universities don’t have any problems with free speech. “Hundreds of academics and students have been hounded, censured, silenced, or even sacked over the last 20 years” for speaking out legally, it says.

Even so, the government has ignored the warnings. A source told The Times, “We make no apology for pausing the Tories’ hate-speech charter,” saying that it would have allowed offensive speech, such as anti-Semitic views. The source made it clear that colleges are already required by law to protect free speech, and the government plans to make sure they do so.