The University as a Contested Space: 'No Platforming' controversies at British universities, 1968-1990

In recent years, there has been much attention paid by the media and by politicians to the alleged free speech ‘crisis’ at universities in Britain, with ‘woke’ students and left-wing academics blamed for the shutting down of freedom of speech and academic freedom on campus. This increased media spotlight on student activism and controversies around platforms afforded to certain speakers has led to calls for stronger intervention to ‘protect’ free speech, resulting in the Conservative Government introducing new legislation that passed in May 2023. This chapter historicises this contemporary ‘moral panic’ about freedom of speech at British universities, demonstrating that for over 50 years, the issue of who should be allowed a platform on the university campus has been a contested issue. Many of the tropes that we see used today have an older lineage, going back to the 1960s.