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Controversial Guidance Used To Vet Potential Speakers For Government
Controversial Guidance Used To Vet Potential Speakers For Government
Controversial Guidance Used To Vet Potential Speakers For Government
The minister said he had decided to withdraw the current guidance, review it and
reissue it in the early autumn "having ensured that the guidance strikes the right
balance".
In a letter sent to Mr Kaszeta's lawyers, seen by BBC Newsnight, the government
says it does not accept that the guidance is "unlawful" but adds - as set out in the
written statement - that the Cabinet Office Guidance and the Diversity Network
Guidance are being reviewed.
The letter adds that both documents are "likely to be revised" following the review.
The decision comes three months after Mr Kaszeta - a global expert on nerve agents
- was told he could not attend a Ministry of Defence conference because civil
servants had "identified material that criticises government officials and policy" on his
social media platforms.
In April, Mr Kaszeta, told BBC Two's Newsnight he was "outraged" that the
government's trawl through his Twitter account - on which he had criticised Brexit
and the government's asylum policy - meant he was no longer able to attend the
conference on chemical weapons demilitarisation (CWD).
In an email from the Ministry of Defence, Mr Kaszeta was told: "The check on your
social media has identified material that criticises government officials and policy. It
is for this reason and not because we do not value your technical insight, that I'm
afraid that we have no choice and must cancel your invitation to the CWD
conference."
In another example of a speaker being banned for criticising the government,
Professor Kate Devlin saw herself disinvited from an event about women in tech.
The artificial intelligence expert told the Independent she was blocked from attending
due to her criticisms of the government's Online Harms Bill.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "The government is committed to protecting
free speech whilst maintaining civil service impartiality. We are reviewing the
guidance and have temporarily withdrawn it to prevent any misinterpretation of the
rules."