This episode features a discussion between Dr Amina Easat-Daas (Lecturer in Politics), Dr Simon Stevens (Lecturer in Political Philosophy / Political Thought), and Dr Ben Whitham (Senior Lecturer in International Politics) about the government’s controversial recent proposal to create a ‘Free Speech Champion’ tasked with protecting freedom of speech on university campuses. Amina, Ben, and Simon critically explore some of the problems and contradictions associated with this policy, and ask what other functions it might serve. Recommended resources related to this episode include (1): the BBC’s coverage of the government announcement https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55995979 (2): the Government’s White Paper https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-free-speech-and-academic-freedom and (3): The Free Speech Wars, a book to which Ben contributed a chapter on this topic in 2020 https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526151162/