The Ministry of Defence has issued no guidance to members of the Defence Universities Alliance on how to handle campus protests over their membership or wider links with the defence sector, and has attached no conditions on protest management or reputational protection, according to answers given in Parliament.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Your Party member for Islington North, tabled two questions, asking what guidance is issued to universities as part of the alliance on handling campus protest opposing it or university links to the defence sector, and what conditions or expectations on campus protest management or reputational protection are attached to participating universities.

Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Industry and Readiness, said on the first: “The Ministry of Defence has not issued guidance to Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) members on how to handle campus protests over their membership or any wider links with the defence sector.”

On the second he said: “The Ministry of Defence has not attached conditions or expectations on how Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) members manage campus protests. Through the signing of the DUA Charter, members have committed to supporting the growth of defence research and ensuring defence industry careers and skills are represented as part of a balanced portfolio of careers guidance, supporting improved collaboration between the sectors.

“The DUA protects freedom of speech as set out in the DUA Charter for all members.”

The Defence Universities Alliance was established to connect the department with universities on research, skills and careers. Membership is conferred by signing the DUA Charter, under which signatories commit to supporting the growth of defence research and to representing defence industry careers within careers guidance.

Universities carry statutory duties on freedom of speech under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which apply irrespective of their research partnerships.

Encampments and occupations over university links with defence companies have taken place at institutions across Britain since 2023, and a number of universities have reviewed their investment and research arrangements.

John McDonnell, the member for Hayes and Harlington, asked about the alliance earlier this month and established that membership carries no departmental funding, which this publication reported at the time.

Craig Langford
Trained as a mechanical engineer, Craig took an unconventional route into journalism, bringing with him a rare technical precision and analytical depth that continues to set his reporting apart.

6 COMMENTS

  1. i wonder how vocal Corbyn & these f**kers were on 7 Oct when all those innocent Jews were murdered raped and abducted. We all know the answer.

    • Well Corbyn is a Marxist. Marxism is genocidal ideology: it wants to destroy by any means entire social classes, all religions, cultures.
      The only culture allowed will be Socialism.

      Murder is a just a political option for a Marxist. They made this true from Cuba to Cambodja, to Ethiopia, to China, etc…
      Marxism is the most murderous European export, yes an idea. Paradoxally assured Europe and West dominance by a couple more decades…

      Karl Marx a literal National Socialist (for him Socialism was his nation, Hitler was more like an German Arian Nationalist) had a special hate for Jews because they could survive as culture for so long without a nation. This created an issue for Karl Marx if he established the Socialist State.
      How to make everyone a total(itarian) socialist that do not have a belief and allegiance to any other things besides Socialism, like culture, religion, family, etc?

      Karl Marx defended in his Jewish Problem paper that Jewish culture should be exterminated. As all other cultures or even mere narratives that had no socialist influence. All Art, Music, Poetry will have to be Socialist…or else…

      Btw one of “interesting” aspects of Hamas is how despite being an Islamist movement uses Marxist terms like the Revolution so often when speaking for western audiences.

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