PERU’s Gavin Bailey and Chris O’Leary have written an article for The Conversation on left-wing bias in academia. The piece is a response to a recent report by the Adam Smith Institute that highlights a perceived left-wing bias in academia. Bailey and O’Leary argue that the accusation that that academia is disproportionately left-wing and liberal is not a new one, nor is it, contentious. Many accept that academics tend towards the left, even if we cannot be sure of precise levels of inclination or whether the tendency is on the rise. The more important issue is whether or not this actually matters, both in terms of impartiality in research and teaching, and equality for staff and students.