Latest news with #Sussex
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Universities ‘on notice' after Kathleen Stock treatment, says minister
Universities have been put 'on notice' to uphold free speech following the treatment of Kathleen Stock, a minister has said. Baroness Smith of Malvern, the universities minister, told The Telegraph that higher education institutions must take lessons after the University of Sussex was hit with a record fine for breaching Dr Stock's free speech. The Office for Students (OfS), the higher education watchdog, fined the institution £585,000 in March and ruled that it had failed to protect the academic from being hounded out over her gender-critical views. Dr Stock resigned from her post as a philosophy lecturer at the University of Sussex in 2021 following a string of campus protests calling for her to be fired. The academic also faced death threats over her beliefs. Baroness Smith said universities could face even larger sanctions if other academics were subjected to similar treatment, with new free speech laws set to come into effect on Friday. 'We have seen too many instances where those on campus have had their voices silenced and the chilling effect that has taken hold in some institutions cannot continue,' she told The Telegraph. 'The record fine recently handed down to the University of Sussex has put universities on notice that they must uphold academic freedom and not allow lawful opinions to be silenced. The Office for Students has made clear that any institution that flouts them in future could face even higher penalties.' It marks a change in tone from the Government after Labour last year tried to shelve free speech laws drawn up in the wake of Dr Stock's case and other high-profile episodes of cancel culture on campus. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, pulled the plug on flagship Tory legislation designed to protect academics last July, days before it was due to come into effect, and said she would consider repealing it altogether. The Government later U-turned on the decision following widespread backlash from academics, with the new free speech laws now coming into force on Aug 1 – a year behind schedule. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act means universities must now actively promote academic freedom, rather than just uphold it, and will face significant fines if they breach free speech duties. Arif Ahmed, the OfS's director of academic freedom, will oversee a new complaints scheme for academics and visiting speakers who think their right to free speech has been violated. Universities will also be banned from using non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of sexual assault or abuse on campus. However, Labour has removed several key elements of the legislation as drawn up by the Tories, including a legal compensation mechanism for victims of cancel culture, known in the Act as the 'statutory tort'. The Department for Education said on Friday that the tort would have 'saddled universities with disproportionate legal costs' and 'rendered the rules unworkable'. Ministers have also removed part of the legislation aimed at curbing Chinese influence at British universities. This would have cracked down on anonymous donations to UK higher education and required the OfS to 'monitor overseas funding'. These will instead be kept 'under review' while the Government assesses the impact of a new foreign influence registration scheme introduced by the Home Office in July. The decision will rile China hawks, who have insisted the measures would help stamp out attempts to stifle criticism of Beijing at British universities through lucrative international partnerships and donations. Baroness Smith told The Telegraph that Labour's watered-down free speech rules 'strike the right balance' and will encourage debate to take place on campus 'without fear or favour'. 'Earlier this year we reaffirmed our commitment to introducing the Freedom of Speech Act, and new powers are coming into force today,' she said. 'They strike the right balance between a system that can actually be implemented effectively and the robust rules that are needed to protect free and open expression on university campuses. 'Academic freedom is at the heart of our world class university system, and we are determined to ensure campuses are places where robust exchanges of ideas can take place without fear or favour.'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ibrahim digs in as Sussex show some backbone at Scarborough
Danial Ibrahim produced a battling unbeaten half century as Sussex showed some backbone at Scarborough. But they face a big task if they are to avoid defeat on day four of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Yorkshire. All-rounder Matthew Revis scored a career best 152 not out as Yorkshire declared on 545 for nine midway through the afternoon, leading by 323 with 44 overs remaining in the day. Sussex were 115 for three at close. Opener Daniel Hughes gave the visitors something to cheer with an impressive rear-guard 56 not out from 131 balls. Ibrahim was challenged by head coach Paul Farbrace to improve on his wasteful performance at home to Essex last week but was out for nought in the first innings here. He reached his 50 in the second innings with a three off the final ball of the day. George Hill contributed a season's best 75 off 93 balls for Yorkshire. Jack Carson plugged away with three for 150 from 43 overs but he was swimming against the tide. Sussex started the day nicely by removing Harry Duke and Will Sutherland, leaving Yorkshire 320 for six in the 97th over, the day's seventh. Duke was caught behind for 21 against an out-swinger from Fynn Hudson-Prentice - Sussex having taken the new ball immediately at the start of play - before Sutherland was bowled by his fellow Australian Gurinder Sandhu for two. Revis became the first Yorkshire player to score three hundreds in successive first-class matches since Gary Ballance did it back in 2019 and the first non-capped White Rose player to achieve that same feat in 80 years. Unfortunately for Sussex, further trouble was around the corner at the start of their second innings. They faced 12 overs before tea, where they reached at 29 for three. CLICK HERE FOR SCORECARD New-ball pair Jack White and Matt Milnes struck once apiece added to the run out of Tom Alsop courtesy of a direct hit from Imam-Ul-Haq at the striker's end from cover. White had Tom Haines caught and bowled off a lead edge and Milnes got James Coles caught at fourth slip for a golden duck the ball after Alsop had fallen in the sixth over. But just when all seemed lost, left-handed Australian Hughes stood firm with the help of fourth-wicket partner Ibrahim. Hughes was understandably watchful but drove, cut, pulled and deflected 10 boundaries en-route to a 114-ball fifty. The pair have shared an unbroken 95.
BBC News
16 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Sussex hold up dominant Yorkshire after tea
Rothesay County Championship Division One, North Marine Road, Scarborough (day three)Sussex 222 & 115-3: Hughes 56*, Ibrahim 50*Yorkshire 545-9 dec: Revis 152*, Lyth 115,; Carson 3-150Sussex (2 pts) trail Yorkshire (6 pts) by 208 runsMatch scorecard All-rounder Matthew Revis continued his sparkling run-scoring form in the County Championship, posting his third hundred in as many matches to help Yorkshire press for a crucial victory over Sussex at back to late June, in Yorkshire's last four Division One fixtures, 23-year-old Revis has posted scores of 93 not out, 150, 110 not out and a career best 152 not hit the 150 in a victory over Essex at York, 110 not out in last week's draw against Surrey and now this 188-ball effort with 14 fours and two pulled sixes against declared on 545-9 midway through the afternoon, leading by 323 with 44 overs remaining in the day, and then restricted Sussex to 115-3 at the close. Opener Daniel Hughes gave the visitors something to cheer with an impressive rearguard 56 not out from 131 would now be a significant surprise if Revis is not selected to tour Australia with the England Lions this winter. Another man who could be on that tour is George Hill, with whom Revis shared an entertaining seventh-wicket partnership of 140 either side of all-rounder Hill contributed a season's best 75 off 93 balls. He has already had Lions exposure this summer, courtesy of his near 40-wicket campaign with the Sussex, off-spinner Jack Carson plugged away with 3-150 from 43 overs. But he was swimming against the who started the day on 22, drove handsomely down the ground before pulling a couple of sixes off Carson just before Yorkshire declared minutes before 15:00 lunch, Hill lofted Carson over long-on for six and out of the ground at the Trafalgar Square reached his fifty off 77 balls and his fifth career first-class century off 137, the latter on the stroke of lunch. Sandwiched in between, Hill's fifty came up in 65 started the day nicely by removing Harry Duke and Will Sutherland, leaving Yorkshire 320-6 in the 97th over, the day's was caught behind for 21 against an out-swinger from Fynn Hudson-Prentice - Sussex having taken the new ball immediately at the start of play - before Sutherland, playing his final game, was bowled by his fellow Australian Gurinder Sandhu for and Hill advanced Yorkshire's cause in entertaining became the first Yorkshire player to score three hundreds in successive first-class matches since Gary Ballance did it back in 2019 and the first non-capped White Rose player to achieve that same feat in 80 for Sussex, further trouble was around the corner at the start of their second faced 12 overs before tea, where they reached at pair Jack White and Matt Milnes struck once apiece added to the run out of Tom Alsop courtesy of a direct hit from Imam-Ul-Haq at the striker's end from had Tom Haines caught and bowled off a lead edge and Milnes got James Coles caught at fourth slip for a golden duck the ball after Alsop had fallen in the sixth just when all seemed lost, left-handed Australian Hughes stood firm with the help of fourth-wicket partner Danial was understandably watchful but drove, cut, pulled and deflected 10 boundaries en-route to a 114-ball fifty. The pair have shared an unbroken 95, with Ibrahim 50 not reached 50 off 111 balls with the day's final delivery. But the pair have plenty more work to do on a pitch which is showing increasing signs of turn. ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay.
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘We've never seen this before' – ITV Racing presenters stunned by 'embarrassing' flag start at Goodwood races
ITV Racing hosts were left stunned and admitted 'we've never seen this before' after a flag start was used for the feature Group 1 at Glorious Goodwood. Punters branded the start to the mega-money Nassau Stakes 'absolutely embarrassing'. 2 2 The Sussex track was helpless amid a torrential 25mm downpour on the third day of their Glorious festival. But it was the thunder and lightning overhead that sparked a very unusual start to the 1m2f contest for fillies. In Flat races, horses always break from the starting stalls. But the dangerous weather meant they couldn't use them here, with a flag start - like the ones seen in jumps racing - having to be employed. The ITV hosts including Ed Chamberlin and Sun Racing's Matt Chapman said they had never seen a flag start used for a Group 1 - the top-tier level of races. It didn't stop winner Whirl, though, who thrived in the mud for winning trainer Aidan O'Brien and drenched jockey Ryan Moore. But even the globetrotting rider said he had never raced in a Group 1 from a flag start before. There was nothing in the stewards' report about the rarely seen move but Chamberlin declared on the main channel: "We've never seen this before." Officials were given no choice but to resort to the flag given the weather. But punters thought the race - which saw Whirl win over £340,000 for her owners Coolmore - should have been delayed to ensure a proper start. One viewer wrote on X: "A flag start in a Group 1 is absolutely embarrassing. Unacceptable. "Delay or abandon. You can't start Group 1 races that affect the breed like it's a 3-mile chase at Haydock." Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Staff fearful of reprisals if they speak up amid hospital investigation, report finds
Staff at a hospital trust where police are investigating at least 90 deaths say they face reprisals and ridicule from bosses if they raise concerns, according to a damning report. Asked to review University Hospitals Sussex, the report's authors said they 'repeatedly heard concerning examples of staff, often at a senior level, being ignored, dismissed and sometimes ridiculed when speaking up.' The report by Niche Health and Social Care Consulting said this fear of reprisals from whistleblowing could be harming patient safety. It also highlighted complaints of misogyny and failures to deal with 'unwanted romantic advances'. The review team noted a number of challenges facing the trust, including an investigation by Sussex police into possible corporate and individual manslaughter charges over allegations of medical negligence and cover-up in the general surgery and neurosurgery departments. Operation Bramber is focused on the deaths of more than 90 patients, and serious harm suffered by more than 100 others. It was sparked by the concerns of two consultant whislteblowers who lost their jobs at the trust after speaking up, first revealed in the Guardian in June 2023. The report found staff feared their careers could be hindered if they raised concerns. One said they had been told not to share data that made the trust look bad. Another said when they did raise concerns they were 'gaslit' and targeted by management. The report identified 'significant issues with psychological safety at every [staff] level' and noted that the fear of speaking up had worsened in the last year. It said staff identified as having the potential to disagree with management said they were deliberately ignored in meetings. A staff survey conducted for the review received 376 responses of which more than 300 were negative or very negative on the issue of speaking up. The responses often cited a 'fear of reprisals'. One said: 'There could be comeback which will affect your career in [a] negative manner.' Another said: 'I raised concerns. It put a target on my back. Management lied, gaslit me, would circumvent the issue, would dismiss my concerns.' A third said: 'I feel no one listens.' Staff complained that the executive team discouraged bad news and different opinions. The review identified a 'predominance of direct and authoritative leadership styles'. It added: 'We heard repeatedly that 'there is a parent-child dynamic in this organisation'.' It also found that 'incivility and poor behaviours appear to be pervasive' and there was a strong view that these were tolerated by leaders. The report did not give details of these behaviours. Last year the Guardian revealed that a consultant surgeon was promoted after allegedly assaulting resident doctors during surgery. Six senior women at the trust complained to the reviewers of misogyny, which was felt to be prevalent among consultants. Female staff said they faced eye rolling and other signs of dismissiveness from male colleagues when they spoke at meetings. They also faced pejorative references to sexuality when they took the lead. One woman claimed she 'experienced unwanted romantic advances and inappropriate comments, with no actions taken months after reporting this to various senior leaders.' Earlier this month the trust chief executive, George Findlay, announced his departure. Andy Heeps, the acting chief executive, said the trust accepted all the report's recommendations for improvement and its 'valuable insight into what we do well, where we are improving, and where there is clearly more to do'. He said: 'The authors recognise the scale of the task in completing such a huge trust merger during the Covid pandemic, and highlight a number of key improvements such as our big reductions in waiting lists and key service quality improvements. 'But they also draw attention to some fundamental issues which we've not yet succeeded in tackling – and all of these things need to change, and change quickly.'
