How Cambridge is being turned into Xi’s China

On Sunday, I studied the website of Report+Support, a new “reporting tool” offered to students by Cambridge University by the vice-chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope. It is based on a template already used by some other universities. It invites you to denounce anyone you like in the university for “racism, discrimination and micro-aggressions”.

The media have already reported the list of “micro-aggressions” provided. One is “raising eyebrows when a black member of staff or student is speaking”. Others are “referring to a woman as a ‘girl’” and making “backhanded compliments”.

It is impossible not to laugh, but one should not doubt the seriousness of the operation. Prof Toope, who has made repeated speeches in praise of Xi Jinping’s China, is developing methods of denunciation of which the People’s Republic would be proud.

There are two ways in which you can accuse people, says the Cambridge website. The university authorities provide a secure collection point and promise to act on what you tell them: you can “report anonymously” or “report with contacts”. If you do the former, you can give the name of the person you are accusing; but neither that person nor the authorities will ever know your name or be able to check the truth of your claim.

Thus you could allege that anyone – let us say Prof Toope himself – had committed the micro-aggression of “asking a black person if that is their ‘natural’ hair”. If you did so, this would be put on Prof Toope’s file and could be used against him at any time. The opportunities for malice are limitless