KTV held their second recording of their current affairs debating programme, ‘The Third Degree’, at the Gulbenkian Theatre on 23 February. Panellists, including a number of candidates at the upcoming General Election, as well as representatives from student and university bodies, debated such issues as student loans, the recent cash for access scandal, as well as the issue of freedom of speech on university campuses.
The debate was well-attended by a number of people, who could participate in the debate and pose questions and offer further information on the topics under discussion. A number of audience members took this opportunity, offering their input on the University of Kent’s overall approach to freedom of speech and Ukip’s policy towards waiving fees for students studying science, technology, engineering and maths, for example.
Each of the panellists offered unique perspectives on the subjects under discussion. For example, on the issue of freedom of speech on university campuses, Shelly Asquith, Union President at the University of Arts in London, argued that restrictions on fascist or racist speakers was worth it due to the conflicts and violence their presence could cause on campus, drawing on her own experiences of racism on campus.
This was in contrast to a number of the other panellists, including the University of Kent’s Dr. Joanna Williams, (who was involved in ranking universities’ Freedom of Speech policies) who decried certain universities for not allowing students to engage with different figures.
UKIP’s Jim Gascoyne also offered opinions contrary to the majority of his fellow panellists on the issue of MPs remuneration. His concerns that disallowing Members from earning higher salaries put off the best candidates from running in elections, which was in contrast to other panellists, who wanted more politicians from less-privileged backgrounds.
The debate was filmed by KTV and will be uploaded to their YouTube channel for those who were not able to attend the debate.
For those who are interested, the third debate will be held next month on 29 March at 7pm at the Gulbenkian Theatre. Tickets can be booked now at eventbrite.com.
