Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged students at Virginia’s Liberty University to defend freedom of speech and expression, calling the Christian university a “bastion of freedom” and expressing hope that the students will become “the next Charlie Kirks.”
Johnson, who led UK from 2019 to 2022, gave a convocation address to more than 16,000 students at the Lynchburg campus on Wednesday (October 8). In his remarks, he warned that the freedoms of thought, conscience and religion that once defined Western civilization are “under threat in today’s world” and that new advocacy by young people is needed.
Johnson, a New York City native, said Western universities are essential to defending and preserving freedom, according to a Liberty press release.
“This university is a bastion of freedom: freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of association, religion and, of course, freedom of speech,” he said.
“And all of these freedoms are increasingly precious and under threat in today’s world. And there is no clearer evidence of the threat to free speech than the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk one month ago. Charlie Kirk is a martyr to our inalienable right as human beings to say what’s on our minds and honestly think.”
“By the way, I hope you’re looking at the next generation of Charlie Kirks.”
Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10th during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. He was 31 years old.
After his assassination, some pastors reported an increase in church attendance, especially among young people, some of whom had not attended services in years.
Mr Johnson reportedly had a complicated relationship with his Christian faith. He was baptized as a Catholic as a child and later confirmed to the Church of England. However, he married his latest wife Carrie in a Catholic ceremony and their son Wilfred was baptized in Westminster Cathedral.
“Christianity is a great ethical system, and I consider myself to be kind of a very bad Christian,” he once told the Times. Although he described Jesus Christ as “the way, the truth, and the life” in his Easter message, he was classically educated and has a strong attachment to pre-Christian moral systems.
In his free speech, Prime Minister Johnson spoke of how the current conflict is the result of a departure from freedom. He provided an overview of world politics, particularly the escalating conflict between Israel and neighboring Islamic countries, and tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
He also highlighted the stark contrast in governance between Western democracies and authoritarian states such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, where the media is suppressed and citizens who disagree with their leaders are imprisoned or killed.
“I remember how in the late 1970s and early ’80s, (Liberty founder) Jerry Falwell rallied the freedom-loving spirit of the American people to support Ronald Reagan and win the Cold War. And do we need that spirit today?” he said.
“As authoritarianism around the world grows stronger every day, we need the strength, clarity, and determination of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Jerry Falwell to stand up to tyranny. And I worry that the West is looking increasingly weak and disorganized.”
Mr Johnson, who previously served as foreign secretary (2016-18) and mayor of London (2008-16), expressed admiration for the United States and supported Britain’s withdrawal from Britain 250 years ago.
“You threw our tea into Boston Harbor,” Johnson told the crowd of 16,000 students, to a standing ovation.
“I support you because you don’t want to be controlled from abroad by an organization you can’t control, and I understand that. One of the reasons I was determined to get Brexit done is because I love the spirit of freedom in this country, and I wanted to bring that spirit back home.”
Brexit, the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union, was a key and controversial feature of Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister. He opined to the Liberty students that in this moment freedom had been restored to his country.
“As EU citizens, there is nothing we can do to exclude from public office the people who ultimately make the laws. And I think that would be extremely undemocratic,” he said.
“The EU is a large-scale experiment in creating a single country with a single currency out of 27 countries, resulting in the enormous growth of a legal system in which individual countries and governments have limited influence.”
