oppositejohn

🚨🚨 Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson spent more than £500,000 of taxpayers’ money trying to water down university free speech laws. Ms Phillipson launched a bid to dilute the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (HEFSA), which she branded a “Tory hate speech charter”. The Act was introduced after countless staff and students were hounded out of their jobs or ostracised by their peers for expressing their lawfully held views on campus. The Free Speech Union has proudly supported many of those affected. Bridget Phillipson’s attempt to weaken the law was successfully thwarted after the Free Speech Union launched a legal challenge against the Education Secretary. The High Court has now ruled that the Government should pay the Free Speech Union’s legal costs of £353,748, taking the total bill to more than £500,000 once the Government’s own legal costs are included. When Labour came to power in 2024, Phillipson announced that she would halt the implementation of HEFSA, which had been passed by the previous Conservative Government. Internal documents disclosed during the litigation showed that officials had been instructed to have a statutory instrument ready to pause the Act “on day one” and that the Secretary of State did not intend to implement the Act in full. In January 2025, however, the Education Secretary performed a U-turn and told Parliament that the majority of the Act’s provisions would be implemented. The Free Speech Union offered to withdraw its claim in return for a fixed costs payment of £84,000. The Government refused, offering instead a “drop hands” settlement under which the FSU, despite having won in substance, would recover nothing. Since then, costs have spiralled as expensive KCs have argued over the remaining issues. General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, Lord Young of Acton, said: “The significance of this judicial decision is that it confirms our view, and the view of our lawyers, that we won this case and the Education Secretary lost. Costs are awarded to the winners, with the losers having to pay. ‘Judicial reviews are expensive, but thanks to this award of costs we’ll have enough money in our bank account.’” Read more below 👇

I will always be proud to have played a part in Keir Starmer’s journey to Number Ten. In Government, it’s been a great honour to serve as International Development Minister, and in Keir Starmer’s Cabinet. I’m disappointed to be leaving but wish the Prime Minister and his new team every success. Cutting the aid budget has been challenging and has required much soul searching, but I passionately believe thanks to the work we’ve done, we’re spending the money better than ever before. We have a modern strategy and approach, working in partnership with developing countries rather than in a paternalistic way, and keeping strong commitments on global health and humanitarian aid. Thank you to all the brilliant people I’ve worked with in the UK and overseas. Thanks to them and to Keir Starmer the U.K. is once again a force for good internationally.