Brighton, one of the most left-leaning cities in the UK, faces a dilemma: does this echo chamber of views put it at risk of becoming a tyranny of the majority?
Brighton’s political image was part of what made me want to study here, but what surprised me when I arrived was the strong hatred towards anyone who wasn’t 100% cookie-cutter liberal. I remember exploring the Lanes as a Fresher and seeing various stores selling mugs with slogans such as ‘fuck the Tories’ printed on them. Brighton is portrayed as being a very accepting place—which it is—as long as your views don’t stray from the liberal narrative.
I’ve always held the belief that I would rather people argue endlessly than let the conversation go silent. As soon as the communication deteriorates, the stereotyping of the other side becomes easier and more extreme. Sarah Victoria Webster, this year’s unsuccessful Brighton Conservative candidate, briefly touched on this when talking to The Badger in July, stating that “Conservatives are not the baddies that [people think]”, and, put simply, “Conservatism is not [being a] bad person.”
And whilst I don’t align with the Conservatives, I do agree with her point. Furthermore, I think that social media plays a huge role in creating a sensationalist narrative around events that propagates an ‘all or nothing’ mentality, which often pressures people into picking a side. It’s okay to not know. It’s okay to still be on the fence, or to discover that you don’t really agree with either side.
At Sussex, the ‘conversation’ has gone a little silent. Because when it comes to freedom of speech, to a certain extent, it’s not completely free at Sussex. There’s definitely freedom to express left-wing views; however, any other views? Not so much.
Sussex has close to 20,000 students; however, I can’t recall a single conservative or centrist political movement on campus over the last academic year. Freedom of speech is crucial and should be exercised no matter what side of the political spectrum you identify with. There is a very important line differentiating free speech and hate speech. However, what is worrisome is that Sussex students may sometimes confuse the two. As harsh as it sounds, being offended shouldn’t be grounds to prevent someone from speaking. Shutting down any view that doesn’t align with yours isn’t activism—it’s censorship.
Growing up in my family, there was never a set way to think. My dad has never voted and never will, believing it’s a waste of time. My sister supports Reform, and my mum has voted Green for as long as I can remember. Although I don’t agree with all of them, they all have their own opinions, and that’s something I do respect. I guess my point in all this is that there’s a lack of educated, open discourse where both sides can be received in a respectful manner.
The politically affiliated societies that used to be part of the Student Union (Students’ Union), such as the Conservative, Labour, and Socialist societies, would frequently campaign around campus and generate discourse. Now, they have all disbanded—leaving only the Politics and Debate societies to take their place. So, if students do want to talk about and be exposed to other views in a safe and respectful environment, where can they go? I honestly don’t know, and that’s what worries me.
