Yesterday, SPUC delivered its free speech petition to Parliament. 15,124 SPUC supporters added their names to the petition calling on the Government to uphold the freedom of speech of pro-life students in the UK.
Yesterday, Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, joined Chris Green MP at Parliament, where Mr Green added his voice to the thousands of SPUC supporters’ voices demanding that Government protect the free speech of students, especially young pro-lifers.
The petition welcomed the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, which was being debated that day, and called on Government to ensure that pro-life students were given an equal voice. SPUC’s petition was referenced by Jim Shannon MP, during the debate. You can see his contribution here.
Mr Shannon, as well as Chris Green MP, joined SPUC’s Alithea Williams outside Parliament to add his voice to the thousands of SPUC supporters’ voices demanding that Government protect the free speech of students, especially young pro-lifers.
Pro-life students are threatened and abused
Pro-life students have experienced increasing hostility, and even death threats, at universities across the UK in recent years.
Last year, Exeter University pro-life students were subjected to horrific abuse and death threats. SPUC condemned the abuse and demanded that Exeter University take action to protect pro-life students.
In yet another attack on free speech, pro-abortion students destroyed a pro-life stall at Oxford University’s Freshers’ Fair last year; while that same year, the pro-life society at Queen’s University Belfast was investigated by its student union for sharing pro-life content on social media.
In 2021, an Alliance of Pro-life Students survey revealed that around a quarter of students reported being “threatened, abused, alarmed or distressed” for being pro-life at university.
We must protect pro-life students
Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “A vicious campaign of abuse, intimidation and ‘cancellation’ is currently being waged against pro-life students at UK universities. This is entirely unacceptable. Government must make it clear to universities that the free speech of all students should be protected, without exception.
“We thank all those who added their names to SPUC’s petition. Being part of a university means being exposed to different points of view and being the better for it. We also thank the MPs who stood up for pro-life students.
“SPUC will continue to defend pro-life students, whose dignity and bravery, in what is an increasingly hostile campus environment, is inspiring.”