London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Cambridge ranked one of UK’s worst universities for free speech, days after institution pledged to ‘tolerate’ all views

Cambridge ranked one of UK’s worst universities for free speech, days after institution pledged to ‘tolerate’ all views

A report penned by a think tank has flagged Cambridge University as hostile to free speech, barely a week after the prestigious UK university received accolades for pledging a new tolerance within its halls for all viewpoints.
The institution was ranked among the worst UK universities for free speech by the London-based Institute for the Study of Civil Society, known as Civitas. The think tank’s Free Speech University Rankings (FSUR) listed Cambridge as one of 48 other universities, including Oxford, as “most restrictive” when it comes to free expression.

Civitas analysed over three years of campus censorship between 2017 and 2020 on 137 different UK campuses, assessing a number of variables, including to what degree student societies discourage free speech, as well as how speech codes and harassment policies may restrict open debate. Of the surveyed institutions, 35 percent were given the “most restrictive” designation in regards to free speech, while only 14 percent were deemed “mostly friendly” to an open marketplace of ideas.

The think tank cited the rise of “cancel culture” as a driving factor behind growing hostility towards the free exchange of views. Among other worrying trends, it found that many UK universities use “perceived transphobic episodes” to justify censorship.

In free-speech-stifling examples specific to Cambridge, Civitas noted a number of controversies, including an incident earlier this year in which students demanded that a commemorative window in honor of eugenicist Sir Ronald Fisher be removed. Gonville and Caius, one of the university’s oldest colleges, eventually relented in the face of the student campaign.

Ironically, Cambridge received widespread praise last week, after it voted to encourage “tolerance” rather than “respect” for all viewpoints. The amendment to the university’s ‘Statement on Freedom of Speech’ was seen by many as a victory against ‘woke’ activism in academia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×