English universities have told higher education minister Michelle Donelan that “an important line has been crossed” by her letter telling them to consider pulling out of the sector’s voluntary Race Equality Charter and other diversity schemes.
A letter from Universities UK president Steve West and interim chief executive Chris Hale, seen by Times Higher Education, also tells the minister that universities are “not clear what the intent of your recent letter is and are unclear what evidence is available to support the assertion that external assurance schemes are negatively impacting free speech”.
