STATEMENT FROM BOLTON SU

In March of this year, a Student Society affiliated with the Students’ Union hosted a debate on campus on the topic of abortion. While this subject is lawfully open to discussion under the Freedom of Speech Act,  we acknowledge that the posters and imagery used to publicise the event caused distress to members of our student community. We sincerely apologise for this.

To prevent this from happening in future, we have already strengthened the approval process for student society publicity. All promotional materials will now undergo closer scrutiny to ensure they meet the standards expected by the university community. Additionally, posters for debates will clearly state the nature of the event and, where appropriate, include details of university support services.

In response to student feedback, we will introduce a new rule for debates so that students will no longer be able to join partway through the session. This is to maintain the structure and integrity of the discussion for all participants.

As a Students’ Union, we are required to uphold the principles of the Freedom of Speech Act. We actively promote and support lawful debate and discussion, and remain dedicated to providing an environment where diverse views can be expressed openly.