In the wake of a shocking terror attack at a Manchester synagogue and a reported surge in antisemitic incidents across British campuses, the UK government has rolled out a sweeping new initiative aimed at protecting Jewish students and stamping out antisemitism in universities and schools. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, speaking on October 12, 2025, outlined a package of urgent measures, underscoring the government’s determination to root out what she called "the poison of antisemitism" from the nation’s educational institutions.
The catalyst for these actions was the attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on October 2, 2025, where two Jewish men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, lost their lives during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The atrocity, carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, sent shockwaves through the Jewish community and the nation, prompting calls for stronger safeguards and a renewed focus on combating hate.
According to BBC, Bridget Phillipson has written to university vice-chancellors urging them to take “practical and proportionate steps” to protect Jewish students from harassment, while continuing to uphold the right to peaceful protest and lawful free speech on campus. "One instance of antisemitic abuse is one too many, so I’m clear: the buck stops with universities when it comes to ridding their campuses of hate – and they have my full backing to use their powers to do so,” Phillipson declared. She added, “Antisemitism is a poison that must be torn out from our schools, colleges and universities by its roots: I will not allow hatred to deter students from their education.”
The government’s response is multifaceted. The Union of Jewish Students is set to deliver 600 training sessions for university staff, equipping them to support students, identify harassment and hate, and foster open, respectful debate. This training, Phillipson emphasized, should be prioritized by university security staff, who are often the first line of contact between students and authorities.
But the effort doesn’t stop at universities. A £7 million funding package will see thousands of teachers trained to help young people spot and challenge misinformation online—a skillset increasingly vital in a world where social media can amplify hate speech and conspiracy theories. Additionally, a £4 million fund will support projects that teach pupils and students to identify misinformation and promote interfaith understanding. The Holocaust Educational Trust will also receive £2 million to ensure that secondary school pupils in England learn about the Holocaust through survivor testimony and immersive virtual reality experiences, aiming to preserve the memory of the genocide and its lessons for future generations.
Phillipson’s announcement comes amid a reported 117% increase in antisemitic incidents on university campuses in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years, compared to the preceding two years, according to the Community Security Trust. The sense of unease is palpable. “On campus, Jewish students don’t feel safe,” Phillipson told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. “And often, parents worry about sending their children to university. We cannot accept that. There can be no place for it.”
Recent weeks have seen a spate of protests on British campuses and in city centers, many focused on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. On October 11, 2025, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in central London, joined by a smaller group of pro-Israeli counter-protesters. The demonstrations, which coincided with the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel—an incursion that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages—have been described by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as “un-British” and disrespectful in their timing. Protesters, however, argue that their actions are necessary to draw attention to the suffering in Gaza, where, according to the Hamas-run enclave’s health ministry, around 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.
The protests have not been without incident. The Metropolitan Police reported 14 arrests during the October 11 march for offences including breaching Public Order Act conditions, affray, and supporting a proscribed group. The tension on the streets has been mirrored on campuses, with university leaders warning students to consider their actions carefully and the higher education watchdog threatening action against institutions that fail to protect Jewish students from harassment.
Phillipson’s approach seeks to strike a delicate balance between upholding lawful protest and ensuring campus safety. “Lawful protest must be respected – but there is no place for harassment or intimidation on our campuses,” she asserted. The Department for Education has indicated that universities must manage protests in a way that allows all students to participate fully in campus life, which could include moving repeated demonstrations that become “intrusive or disruptive.”
The controversy has not been limited to protests. The scheduled November 5, 2025 performance by the rap duo Bob Vylan at a venue associated with the University of Manchester sparked outrage after a member of the group chanted “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” at the Glastonbury music festival earlier in the year—a performance broadcast live by the BBC. The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region demanded the show’s cancellation, describing the rhetoric as “crossing the line from legitimate political discourse into antisemitism and incitement.” The BBC’s director-general Tim Davie later called the decision to air the set “a very significant mistake,” labeling the performance antisemitic and deeply disturbing.
Political leaders across the spectrum have weighed in. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel argued that the Labour government should be “gripping” antisemitism in the UK, including what she called “hate marches where people are being so racist to the Jewish community.” She insisted, “Look at what happened on the streets of London yesterday. Look at the level of hatred that was demonstrated on the streets of London to Britain’s Jewish community.” Patel also urged that police be given the tools they need to tackle growing antisemitism on British streets.
First Minister of Scotland John Swinney, meanwhile, highlighted his government’s policy of pausing public funding for defence companies selling arms to Israel until there is certainty that ceasefire progress can be sustained, reflecting the broader political and ethical complexities surrounding the conflict and its impact on British society.
Looking ahead, Education Secretary Phillipson is scheduled to meet with university leaders, the Office for Students, Universities UK, the police, and faith community organizations for a high-level roundtable on campus cohesion. The goal: to ensure universities are taking proportionate and effective action to keep all students safe and supported.
As the UK grapples with these challenges, the message from the government is unequivocal: antisemitism will not be tolerated, and every institution has a role to play in building campuses—and communities—where all can feel secure and respected.
