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The Mail Asked Readers For Examples of anti-Brexit Bias. You can Guess How Twitter Responded

On 3rd October, Tory MP and junior whip Chris Heaton-Harris wrote to the vice-chancellors of all UK universities, asking that they supply the names of lecturers giving Brexit-related lectures, and also asking for content/links to those lectures (It's possible he was trying to avoid £9,250 in tuition fees but this has not been proven). 

News of this request broke this week, with many commentators rightly condemning this almost McCarthyist attempt to put pressure on universities to be more Brexit-friendly. The MP backtracked by Tuesday, saying on Twitter he “believe(s) in free speech and in having an open an vigorous debate on Brexit”. He also claimed he wanted the information “for a book”. Strangely this book wasn’t mentioned previously, it wasn’t mentioned in the letter he sent, and he used official House of Commons headed notepaper which he’s not supposed to do for personal business (but I’m sure it wasn’t a rapidly dreamt up excuse, dear me no).

The day after this furore, the party began distancing itself from Mr Heaton-Harris’ request. However, the Mail immediately took up the cudgels with a front-page splash on “OUR REMAINER UNIVERSITIES”, going on inside to list the Enemies of the People who viciously teach people facts & stuff, and to detail what it saw as, anti-Brexit bias throughout the academic world (seemingly missing the point that universities are filled with the brightest people, who are well used to researching evidence and drawing their own appropriate conclusions). They then foolishly invited readers to supply their own stories of anti-Brexit bias in universities, via email to University@dailymail.co.uk. You can imagine how Twitter took to that.

I myself responded with anger and a little sarcasm:

But of course the hivemind of Twitter always does a better job, and followed my post with some of their own. Below is a selection of the best. Unlike my own, I can’t guarantee that they were all actually sent, but I do hope so, and it’s not as if it costs a stamp.

Firstly, Freelance writer David Whitley (@mrdavidwhitley) weighed in with a few examples:





Not to be outdone, @duncamn provided his own take:



And @retalsp went with:


@bill_sich was more formal:


@TimBrudenell said:



@andrewpunton mailed in:


@UpsilonMale was rightly “Horrified”:


And finally @johnfromsoho returned to a theme I opened with – book burnings:


There were more, and I’m sure there are many more sitting in the Daily Mail inbox. I hope it gives them as much amusement as it gave some of us. Sadly I fear the selection presented here won’t make it to tomorrow’s print edition, so I reproduce them for posterity. Others more suited to their agenda may well do.

Long live the Resistance.



Mike Holden (@MikeHolden42)

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