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A leading academic who left the UK to teach in Australia after publishing a pro-Brexit article says he can no longer work in Britain because universities are now “just places of inspiration”.
Profesor Michael Rainsborough He said he decided to leave after losing his position as head of the war studies department at King’s College London.
He said that weeks after the publication of his “academic” article he was told that there were complaints about his “leadership” and that it would be better for him to resign.
Professor Rainsborough believes he was sacked because he did not align with the university’s ideological position on leaving the EU.
He decided to emigrate when he was offered a place at a military school in Australia.
Professor Michael Rainsborough left the UK to teach in Australia after losing his position as Head of War Studies at King’s College London (pictured).
Protesters gather during a march for national reunification outside the Houses of Parliament in central London on September 28, 2024.
He told the Mail on Sunday: ‘If I hadn’t been treated like this I probably would have thought twice before leaving. If I had stayed in the British university system, I’m sure my career wouldn’t have gone anywhere. It’s clear that my reputation has been ruined.
‘I think I no longer have anything in common with the British university system because if they prioritize ideology in this way, they are not really universities. They are just places of indulgence.
Professor Rainsborough’s feud with King’s College began in late 2018 when he presented the ‘Endangered Lectures’, a speaker series on the rise of swing culture.
He said the dean of his college “criticized him over hot coals” after some students first tried to ban the speech.
This is from Dr. Joanna Williams of the University of Kent, who criticized transgender ideology and the #MeToo movement.
He claims he was pressured to cancel the series but refused, a position that meant his “cards were drawn”.
A few weeks later, in February 2019, he published an article on a website dedicated to the ongoing Brexit debate.
The article, ‘Britain’s path to the dirty war’, did not take a clear position on Brexit as it had already done, he said.
Dr Joanna Williams is a senior lecturer at the University of Kent and author of Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity and Consuming Higher Education.
Dr. Edward Skidelsky, founder of the Committee on Academic Freedom, said Professor Rainsborough’s experience was one of the worst his institution has ever faced.
He explained: “It was simply stated that if the political elite in general began to try to ignore the democratically expressed will of the people, problems and civil unrest would eventually occur.”
But the article angered colleagues who complained to university authorities.
In a meeting with the dean, he was told that “people are dissatisfied” and that he should resign.
Deterred from taking legal action, Professor Rainsborough said he agreed to resign after being offered two years of paid study leave.
But when he returned, it quickly became clear that other academics were afraid to join him, and he decided to leave what he considered his “intellectual home” to go to Australia.
Dr Edward Skidelsky, founder of the Academic Freedom Committee, said Professor Rainsborough’s experience was one of the worst in the politicization of British universities.
“It is extraordinary that someone has been forced out of office by the opinion of a large section of the UK electorate.”
A spokesperson for King’s College London said: ‘We believe strongly in the importance of freedom of expression within the law and are proud of the important role our academic community plays in exploring and debating issues of public interest with a range of points of view and issues. It features research and events taking place across the university.’
