Universities which “no-platform” controversial speakers will face a Government intervention for the first time in 30 years, the higher education minister will say today.

Sam Gyimah warned that universities must stamp out their “institutional hostility” to unfashionable views as he prepares to issue new guidance on free speech.

It will be the first Government intervention since the free speech duty imposed on in universities, polytechnics and colleges which was introduced as part of the Education Act in 1986.

Mr Gyimah’s intervention comes after a series of attempts to censor gay rights activists, feminists and Conservative politicians due to concerns from students that their views may cause offence.

"A society in which people feel they have a legitimate right to stop someone expressing their views on campus simply because they are unfashionable or unpopular is rather chilling,” Mr Gyimah said.

“There is a risk that overzealous interpretation of a dizzying variety of rules is acting as a brake on legal free speech on campus.”

Mr Gyimah will tell a free speech summit on Thursday that there are numerous pieces of disjointed guidance which gives rise to complexity, and risks being exploited by those wishing to stifle free speech.