A pro-Brexit MP has asked for a list of "names" from British universities of professors teaching EU affairs. The backlash has forced Prime Minister Theresa May to distance herself from her Conservative colleague.
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British universities strongly condemned a top Conservative Party lawmaker on Tuesday who asked them to provide information on how they teach Brexit , Britain's planned departure from the European Union.
According to the British daily The Guardian, pro-Brexit government whip Chris Heaton-Harris had written to the heads of multiple British universities asking them for "the names of professors at your establishment who are involved in the teaching of European affairs, with particular reference to Brexit."
The MP, whose motives for writing the letter were unclear, had also asked for syllabi and online course materials.
Higher education officials have responded to the letter with fury, accusing Heaton-Harris of attacking intellectual freedom.
Alistair Jarvis, the head of the interest group Universities UK, said the request was "an alarming attempt to censor or challenge academic freedom."
The University and College Union (UCU) said the letter left an "acrid whiff of McCarthyism." Joseph McCarthy was a notorious US senator who in 1950s blacklisted people he had accused of being anti-American communists.
UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt said: "Our society will suffer if politicians seek to police what universities can and cannot teach."
There's a spectrum of options on Britain's future relationship with the EU, each with a distinct set of advantages and disadvantages. While euroskeptic purists favor a clean "hard Brexit," others favor a softer landing.
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Hard or soft options
It's essentially a choice of a harder or softer Brexit. Harder prioritizes border control over trade. UK firms would pay tariffs to do business in the EU, and vice versa. The softest Brexit would see access to the single market, or at least a customs union, maintained. That would require concessions — including the payment of a hefty "divorce bill" — to which the UK has provisionally agreed.
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A leap into the unknown
Businesses have expressed concern about a "cliff edge" scenario, where Britain leaves the EU with no deal. Even if an agreement is reached at the EU bloc level, the worry is that it could be rejected at the last minute. Each of the 27 remaining countries must ratify the arrangements, and any might reject them. That could mean chaos for businesses and individuals.
If there is no agreement at all, a fully sovereign UK would be free to strike new trade deals and need not make concessions on the rights of EU citizens living in the UK or pay the financial settlement of outstanding liabilities. However, trade would be crippled. UK citizens in other parts of the EU would be at the mercy of host governments. There would also be a hard EU-UK border in Ireland.
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Divorce-only deal
The EU and the UK could reach a deal on Britain's exiting the bloc without an agreement on future relations. This scenario would still be a very hard Brexit, but would at least demonstrate a degree of mutual understanding. Trade agreements would be conducted, on an interim basis, on World Trade Organization rules.
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Limited arrangement, like with Canada
Most trade tariffs on exported goods are lifted, except for "sensitive" food items like eggs and poultry. However, exporters would have to show their products are genuinely "made in Britain" so the UK does not become a "back door" for global goods to enter the EU. Services could be hit more. The City of London would lose access to the passporting system its lucrative financial business relies on.
Under the Swiss model, the UK would have single market access for goods and services while retaining most aspects of national sovereignty. Switzerland, unlike other members of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), did not join the European Economic Area (EEA) and was not automatically obliged to adopt freedom of movement. Under a bilateral deal, it agreed to do so but is still dragging its feet.
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The Norway way
As part of the European Economic Area, Norway has accepted freedom of movement – something that no Brexit-supporting UK government would be likely to do. Norway still has to obey many EU rules and is obliged to make a financial contribution to the bloc while having no voting rights. Some see this as the worst of both worlds.
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A Turkey-style customs union
Turkey is the only major country to have a customs union with the EU, as part of a bilateral agreement. Under such an arrangement, the UK would not be allowed to negotiate trade deals outside the EU, instead having the bloc negotiate on its behalf. Many Brexiteers would be unwilling to accept this. It would, however, help minimize disruption at ports and, crucially, at the Irish border.
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Theresa May's rebuke
British Prime Minister Theresa May's office distanced itself from the letter, saying the prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party had "respect for the freedom and independence of universities and the role they play in creating open and stimulating debate."
Heaton-Harris, the office said, had sent the letter to universities not as a government official, but as a member of the British Parliament.
In a tweet later on Tuesday, Heaton-Harris wrote: "To be absolutely clear, I believe in free speech in our universities and having an open and vigorous debate on Brexit."
More recently, some pro-Brexit politicians have said they are worried that pro-EU support in the British media and academic establishment could threaten a successful Brexit.
But the Russell Group, an organization of Britain's top universities, has denied any link between academics' support for Brexit and the quality of their work.
"Whether academics supported leave or remain at the referendum has no bearing on their ability to deliver stimulating, challenging courses which include a full range of views and opinions on our relationship with Europe," said the Russell Group's head of policy, Jessica Cole.
