David Miller, professor of political sociology at the University of Bristol, is a person with a penchant for saying foolish things. But waywardness has a place in academic life: being wrong is useful and the right to be wrong should be protected. Challenging mistakes is one of the most important ways in which we make progress. And, of course, someone who appears wrong now may eventually be proven correct.
So I’d better explain why, nevertheless, I believe Bristol should dispense with the professor’s services. It matters in its own right but it’s also important in the broader debate between defenders of free speech and supporters of what have become known as “safe spaces”.
Miller has a longstanding interest in conspiracy theories that is not confined