Three senior cabinet ministers have written to UK universities urging them not allow pro-Palestine and other anti-war activists to intimidate defence industry firm recruiters at career fairs.
In a strongly worded letter, signed by Defence Secretary John Healy, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, unversity chiefs are urged to put in place “all necessary precautions” to ensure recruiters are not put off from appearing on campuses.
The Labour ministers suggest a “vocal minority of students” are currently being allowed to deprive the defence sector the oportunity to enage with potential new recruits at university fairs.
In a speech Healey also accused those who target UK defence firms, often with unproven allegations around supplying weaponary to Israel, of having “flawed” goals.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey (left) meets his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant
The Times reports that Healey told a dinner event hosted by the UK defence industry body ADS, that:”We don’t stop wars by boycotting our defence industry. We stop wars by backing it.”
Education Secretary Phillipson also put her name to the letter to Universities UK Vivienne Stern saying it is the “duty” of universities to ensure “talented people” are attracted in the UK defence sector.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
Pro-Palestine campigners have staged increasingly militant protests at campus fairs, and at defence industry events, making claims that UK firms are complicit in an alleged “genocide” in Gaza.
