UK regulator tells Universities: Defend free speech, even if it’s uncomfortable

The UK’s higher education regulator has issued strong new guidance urging universities to uphold legal free speech—even when opinions are controversial or unsettling. Stressing the importance of academic freedom, the Office for Students warned against ideological suppression. The move follows high-profile campus controversies and seeks to reinforce the principle that intellectual discomfort is vital to critical thinking and democratic debate.