The Ministry of Defence is working with Cabinet colleagues and universities to ensure that defence industry representatives can attend higher education recruitment events free from intimidation, according to a written question and answer.
On Wednesday, 5 February 2025, Mark Francois (Conservative – Rayleigh and Wickford) asked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Government is taking to “help ensure the safety of defence industry representatives at university recruitment events.”
Maria Eagle, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, replied:
“This Government fully supports defence companies and their personnel attending events in the higher education sector to demonstrate the benefits and opportunities of careers in the defence sector. They should be able to do so confident they will be safe and free from intimidation. Alongside my counterparts in the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Education I am working with the higher education sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to support the safety of those attending such events.”
Recent reports indicate that pro-Palestinian activists have staged protests leading to the withdrawal of the Royal Air Force and several defence companies from university careers fairs. Newspapers have covered instances at multiple campuses in York, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Newcastle, prompting concern among government officials and defence industry stakeholders.
During a parliamentary exchange, Lord Coaker described such forced exits as “absolutely disgraceful,” emphasising the impact on both recruitment efforts and broader engagement between the Armed Forces and UK universities.
While details remain limited, the Ministry of Defence has indicated its intention to work collaboratively with the higher education sector to ensure that standard security measures and guidelines are in place.
According to Maria Eagle, the goal is to guarantee a safe and open platform for prospective jobseekers and to support the continued presence of defence-related opportunities at university events.
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Ironic that protesters for any cause do not understand that their freedom of expression is maintained by the Armed Forces and those that enable them to maintain national security.
Students have the right to consider professional development in all sectors including defence. The public education investment enables a return from their work on national security. Obviously many UK roles require security clearance including UK nationality. So it’s not acceptable that foreign powers can interfere even by proxy.
We do not have compulsory military service. One of my most outstanding students did 18 months national service in their countries military.
The responsibility lies on the Universities to provide a safe environment*. They should be held to account. No security no grants. Most are terrified of ‘alienating’ students and, irony of ironies, feel that by allowing ‘protests’ are ensuring that freedom. Fellow students – mostly Jews – attacked, speakers banned and various campus societies, apart from favoured left wing ones, prorogued. A report compiled by an independent organisation suggests some of the protest tented camps that sprang up on University grounds were a co-production between student groups and outsiders.
*Publicans are required to ensure their premises meet the terms of their licence. Why not Universities?
I think what is truly telling is that as the Hamas attacks were ongoing in Israel and being reported, the Palestinian support organisations in the UK contacted the Met for permission for a free Palestinian protest…literally they were watching Hamas butcher people on TV and their very first thought was to organise a march essentially in support of the action.
There is something very wrong with the motivation and thought process behind the whole free Palestine pressure groups that many people refuse to accept or acknowledge.
Now not saying people don’t have a right to protest about government’s doing horrible things… but this is far ideologically driven and focused not just on the areas of Gaza and the West Bank.