“Brexit is sh*t” – Professor’s protest following ‘McCarthyite’ letter from government minister

Conservative MP and government whip Chris Heaton-Harris sent out a letter to universities in the UK, asking for the names of lecturers involved in teaching European affairs, particularly Brexit, as well as copies of the syllabus and online links to such lectures.

His request was met with anger by academics across the country, with the Vice-Chancellor of Worcester University calling the move “sinister” and the head of the European Institute at the LSE saying it resembles McCarthyism, referring to the 1950s movement spearheaded under the guise of cracking down on Communism.

Dr Ben Whitham, lecturer in International Relations at De Montfort University Leicester, also tweeted: “Of course you can access my recorded lectures. Just enrol and pay the £9,000 per year your party deems fair, like everyone else.”

Warwick University received this letter as well. The response from Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft reads as follows:

“The University website will be able to provide you with information on courses teaching European Affairs, including module information regarding particular subjects such as Brexit. I am not, however, in a position to provide the names of professors who are involved in the teaching of European Affairs, as to do so may place the University in breach of the Data Protection Act.”

Jo Johnson, the Universities Minister, stated on BBC’s Today programme that the letter was: “Part of an academic inquiry, most likely for a book”. So far, Heaton-Harris has not explained why he sent the letter.

Finn Meinecke, second-year PPE student commented for the Boar: “It seems to me that politicians are starting to get frustrated with the fact that experts’ predictions about the negative effects of Brexit are becoming reality.

“I think that if politicians try to influence academics in their teaching that is very dangerous; censorship shouldn’t have a place in academia, especially on important issues such as Brexit.”

At Warwick, lecturers have been known to freely express their own opinion on such topics.

Most recently, Steven Kettel, lecturer in the first-year Introduction to Politics module, put up a slide in one of his lectures on Tuesday 31 October, which read: “Brexit is sh*t”.

He apologised for the use of crude language, adding: “I know some of you are offended at the word ‘Brexit’”, while lamenting that he had not yet been reported to the Daily Mail.