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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Lizzie Dearden

‘Authoritarian and heavy-handed’: call for investigation into vetting of experts by UK civil servants

Ruth Swailes, with curly hair and in  a floral dress, sits on a park bench smiling slightly
Education consultant Ruth Swailes is calling out the Department for Education silencing her. Photograph: Richard Saker/the Observer

The information watchdog has been asked to investigate “authoritarian” government vetting that caused speakers to be banned from official events for criticising ministers.

Two experts, who discovered that civil servants had combed through years of social media posts to judge them “unsuitable” to address conferences, believe the practice was covert and unlawful.

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