Comments on: Oxford Union

By: Albert Shanker

Albert Shanker — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:21:39 +0000

David is right – OU presidential candidates raison d’etre is try an outdo each other by inviting controversial speakers. When there is a fuss, they then have the hubris to defend themeslves undee the banner of free speech. All of this just garners more publicity for the chinless wonders who choose to get involved in the Union and for the outdated instituion itself. The problem is that the left always bites and makes a fuss about what they get up to. Just ignore it/them. They are irrelevant.

By: Gary Elsby stoke-on-trent

Gary Elsby stoke-on-trent — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:44:02 +0000

It should be noted that David Irving is a convicted holocaust denier and not just a denier.
It is a crime in Austria to be a denier and he was jailed upon his return after fleeing the Country.

It should further be noted that Oswald Moseley, leader of the BUF did in fact apologise for his anti semitism and acknowledged that the holocaust did in fact take place.
It is also claimed that he made a donation to Jewish organisations to cement his apology.
I believe the apology was printed in the Jewish Chronicle in 1969.

Shame should fall upon the Oxford Union and it should be noted that Nick Griffin’s party want to reintroduce Grammar schools, the 11+ and the dustbinning of children at that age.

Gary

By: David

David — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:59:57 +0000

I feel a certain deja vu over this story. Union Presidents have often sought to self-publicize and create stories about who they invite. In the 80s/90s, I believe there were rows about inviting IRA linked speakers. Generally, Union presidents have ultimately bowed to common sense and not really sought to push things too far to the point where speakers no longer feel comfortable in attending the Union.

This particular President appears to be pushing the Union into just that position where guests are saying if you invite facsists then I have no interest in accepting your hospitality. If I was a current member of the Union’s main committe and considering my 2008 membership drive, I would be extremely concerned about the reputational damage the Griffin/Irving invitation is doing – if speakers boycott the Union it would struggle to survive as a high profile speaker list is the draw for both sponsorship and new members that generate the income it needs to exist. Given the number of ex-members of the Union in the Commons on all sides, ex-Presidents include high profile Tories such as Boris Johnson and William Hague, an organised boycott could be quite effective. Sadly the President causing this controversary will have ceased to care as his term of office will have been completed – it is his successors that will suffer.

I would suggest you urge your colleagues who are cancelling trips to the Union to instead contact the University Labour Club and arrange to speak to their members on the evening they had agreed to visit instead. It would be a pity if Labour students in the University were prevented from benefitting from the experience of listening to the views of MPs and Cabinet minsiters because of the idiocy of a right-leaning Union president.