51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

During the Commons debate on human trafficking on 18 May 2011, Denis MacShane, MP for Rotherham, quoting from the list of essay titles for an academic political theory course at the London School of Economics, accused a distinguished professor, Anne Phillips FBA, of being unable to tell the difference between waged work and prostitution, and of filling the minds of students with "poisonous drivel". Fiona Mactaggart, MP for Slough, agreed, accusing Phillips of holding "nauseating views on that issue".

The ineptitude of this exchange - which is now for ever on the official Hansard record - is extraordinary. Students are asked why we should distinguish between the sale of one's labour and the sale or letting of one's body. That condones neither the latter nor the former. It encourages students to reflect on how to draw an important line between things appropriate and things inappropriate for market exchange. Asking such questions, far from being "nauseating", is central to public debate about policy and legislation. If MPs cannot tell the difference between an essay problem and an assertion of belief, how can we trust them to legislate effectively?

Parliamentary debate is a cornerstone of our constitution and political culture. However, using the privilege of a parliamentary platform ignorantly in order to traduce the reputation of a teacher of political theory is a dereliction of office.

Richard Bellamy, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London; David Owen, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Southampton; Michael Freeden, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford; Christopher Brooke, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge; Marc Stears, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford; and 59 members and supporters of the Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought:

Simon Caney, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Stuart White, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Aletta Norval, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Essex

Iain Hampsher-Monk, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Exeter

Thom Brooks, Newcastle 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Raia Prokhovnik, The Open 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Chris Brown, London School of Economics

Bonnie Honig, Northwestern 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Nicola Lacey, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Elizabeth Frazer, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Martin O'Neill, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of York

Tim Hayward, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh

Mark Philp, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Albert Weale, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London

Kimberly Hutchings, London School of Economics

Kenneth Macdonald, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Chandran Kukathas, London School of Economics

Hillel Steiner, universities of Manchester and Salford

Christopher Bertram, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bristol

Paul Kelly, London School of Economics

Jules Townshend, Manchester Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Emily Jackson, London School of Economics

Gary Browning, Oxford Brookes 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Adrian Blau, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Manchester

Russell Keat, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh

David Leopold, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Katrin Flikschuh, London School of Economics

Cecile Laborde, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London

Engin Isin, The Open 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Dario Castiglione, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Exeter

Clare Hemmings, London School of Economics

Christian List, London School of Economics

Evangelia Sembou, Political Studies Association

David Miller, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Wendy Stokes, London Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Ruth Kinna, Loughborough 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Joni Lovenduski, Birkbeck, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Moya Lloyd, Loughborough 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Cecile Fabre, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Adam Swift, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Vincent Geoghegan, Queen's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast

Jennifer Hornsby, Birkbeck, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Lynn Dobson, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh

David Howarth, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Essex

Reidar Maliks, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Nicholas Southwood, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Jeremy Jennings, Queen Mary, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Miranda Fricker, Birkbeck, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Reidar Maliks, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Nicholas Baigent, Graz 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Austria

Michael Otsuka, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London

Susan Mendus, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of York

Robert Jubb, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London

Duncan Kelly, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge

Matthew Kramer, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge

Jonathan Quong, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Manchester

Annabel Lever, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Geneva, Switzerland

Thomas Jacobi, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Fribourg, Switzerland

Veronique Munoz-Darde, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London