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I've had a quick look at this, and this is definitely welcome. We need free speech protections in universities. However, there might be a way in which the left-wing unis can get around this (a least regarding staff) - simply not hire conservatives. https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1361659337391931396?s=20
Indeed that's what they're doing at the moment anyway. How do they do this legally? They simply specify in job descriptions they want academics with expertise in fields that might sound innocuous, but are actually ideologically left-wing ones. e.g. critical theory.
This is illustrated by an attempt by one university to remove classical works of literature e.g. Chaucer from the curriculum. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/20/chaucer-courses-replaced-modules-race-sexuality-university-leicester/
These people aren't interested in academic pluralism or diversity. They want to delete what they consider to be ideologically unacceptable, and simply teach courses dominated by one theoretical viewpoint - critical theory.
So what use is a requirement to promote free speech in universities where there are no liberals or conservatives to start with? So these measures seem to only address the symptoms, not the cause.
So I would add a requirement for universities to provide students with departments and syllabuses that promote viewpoint and methodological pluralism. Maybe there is one in the document that I haven't spotted yet (if I have missed it, do let me know!).
