Jo Johnson: Heaton-Harris letter should not have been sent

The universities minister has insisted there is no threat to academic freedom after Tory MP Chris Heaton-Harris sent a letter to British universities asking for details of what they were teaching on Brexit.

Asked for the fourth time to condemn the letter, Jo Johnson told the Today programme: "A letter that could have been misinterpreted should probably not have been sent."

He said the letter was part of an "academic enquiry" most likely for a book.