🚨 Reform UK is shaking things up with a major announcement ahead of May’s Senedd elections! Their first-ever formal policy highlights a pledge that could transform Welsh universities. If they gain enough votes to form a government, they promise to enact a new law aimed at safeguarding free speech on campuses.
Here’s the lowdown: Reform UK intends to introduce legislation within the first 100 days of being in power to combat the so-called “militant cancel culture” and “no-platforming” in universities across Wales. This means ministers could potentially impose financial penalties on institutions that don’t comply, or even withdraw their funding altogether. The goal? To ensure that our universities become hubs of open and free discussion spanning the entire political spectrum.
This pledge follows an incident at Bangor University, where a student society declined a Q&A session request from Reform UK members due to concerns over their stance on certain social issues. In response, Reform UK has threatened to cut funding to the university.
Dan Thomas, the party’s leader in Wales, stresses the need for change, stating that too often free speech is curtailed at academic institutions. He promises these will be “the strongest higher education free speech protections in the United Kingdom.”
But that’s not all—Reform UK’s new leader also mentioned plans to ditch the 20mph default speed limit, although details and finances are still under wraps.
What do you think about this bold policy? Let’s discuss in the comments!👇 #ReformUK #FreeSpeech #WelshUniversities #SeneddElections