University academics who promote pro-Putin propaganda will be cracked down on, promised Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi. In education questions on Monday, Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons Education Committee, said an investigation by LBC had exposed “pro-Putinist propaganda at some of our leading universities”.
He added that at Leeds University, a retired professor, Ray Bush, had made reference to the United States having “chemical warfare installations in Ukraine – that’s a lie, as he knows, being spread by the Kremlin”. At Edinburgh University, Professor Tim Hayward retweeted a Russian representative to the United Nations describing the attack on Mariupol’s maternity hospital as “fake news”, he said, while at Leicester University another academic had described “ludicrous disinformation on both sides” and “boasted about appearing on Russia Today”.
Prof Hayward, who specialises in environmental political theory, added: “As long as we’re still able to hear two sides of the story we should continue striving to do so.” Prof Bush, a professor emeritus of African studies and development politics at the University of Leeds, tweeted: “US says Russia comment that Washington has chemical warfare installations in Ukraine is a lie – who would we believe about that?”
