Evangelical group and Vice Chancellor of Cambridge support plans to protect free speech in universities

Last week, Sam Gyimah, the government’s minister for universities, announced plans to punish universities that don’t uphold free speech and criticised the attempts to ban speakers

In the Daily Telegraph on Sunday, Prof Stephen Toope, the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University, said he has an “agenda of openness” and is committed to universities “trying to explore the greatest questions that face the nation and humanity.”

The intentions by Sam Gyimah to uphold these rights was also welcomed by many Christians.

Graham Nicholls, the Director of the evangelical group Affinity told Premier: “In general I was very encouraged by them,

“We would want to support and be very pleased about any attempt to avoid the suppresion of freedom of speech and of course I’m particularly concerned with free speech and the freedom to claim and express the gospel on university campus or anywhere else.”

In recent years, there has been increasing attempts to ban speakers because of views not held by other students, such as pro-life groups or Jewish speakers.

Speaking about whether things had changed for this generation of university students, Graham Nicholls said: “I think overall it has got worse – there is a danger you get paranoid about it…but I think there has been an increase.”

Graham said this is often genuine ignorance and fear about what the law is and whether they could accidentally be supporting exclusion of other groups.

He explained he is now…