The Oxford and Cambridge Unions were always exempt, but now the ban has also been dropped across all university campusesFlickr:The Freedom Association

It has been revealed that the official counter-extremism strategy that extended to all university campuses in England and Wales will be postponed till after the general election.

New statutory guidance issued under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 had established the government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy, which attempts to counteract the perceived threat of radicalisation, especially Islamist radicalisation, at British universities.

This guidance imposed a statutory duty to have clear policies “setting out the activities that are or are not allowed to take place on campus”, to be enforced by a body appointed by the Home Secretary, Theresa May. This raised the prospect of university staff being imprisoned for contempt of court should they refuse to carry out an order from the enforcement body.

However, the Cambridge and Oxford Unions, by virtue of their status as private charitable bodies separate from their respective universities, were not caught by the guidance, and do not fall under the same duty to oppose extremism, defined as “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs.”

However, today's news still affects which speakers will be allowed across the rest of the university. 

The policy has faced considerable and outspoken opposition from the Liberal Democrats and the House of Lords. Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, called the proposals “too prescriptive” and said they risked driving extremism underground and making it harder to challenge. He had already forced May to commit to include academic freedom of speech safeguards into the guidelines.

The issue of freedom of speech was also raised by Lord Renfrew, a previous master of Jesus College, who argued in front of Home Officer ministers that the Cambridge Union would suffer from the stifling constraints of the ban set to tackle extremist speakers.

The proposed guidance also came under sharp criticism in recent weeks from the National Union of Students (NUS), who have called it “rushed” and “ill thought out”. 

It appears that opposition within the coalition government ultimately overhauled the legislation. It is understood that all of the proposed guidelines have been shelved, including the introduction of strict checks on all speakers on campus, and a mandatory 14-day notice period for university authorities to carry out background checks. 

Theresa May had previously told the Sunday Times that: "We are not talking about regulating legitimate debate – we’re saying we need to do more to stop radicalisation on campus”.

David Cameron said earlier this week that it was clear that “further, more comprehensive measures will be required in the next parliament to tackle the threat from extremism in the UK, and to support communities to challenge those who oppose British values”.

In a speech to be given on Monday, it is anticipated that the Home Secretary will renew Conservative pledges for banning orders for extremist groups, as well as 'extremism disruption orders', which will target extremist speakers who are deemed to be spreading hate but who have done so legally.

However, May's proposed bans will no longer impact the vetting of speakers invited to university campuses across the country.