26 November 2007
A Conservative member of the British parliament has resigned his membership of the Oxford University debating society over an invitation extended by the union to Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party, and Holocaust denier David Irving. Julian Lewis, the shadow defense minister, turned in the membership he has held for 37 years following the union's controversial invitation. He said he was "ashamed" of the students' decision. Others attacked the invitation as "juvenile provocation" and a "festival of anti-Semitism". The head of Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission also asked the debating society to review its decision. "People have died for freedom of speech," Trevor Phillips, told the BBC on Sunday. "They didn't fight and die for it so it could be used as a silly parlor game. Nobody needs to invite these people to deny the Holocaust. The issues are too serious. I would say to the Oxford Union: think again. If this goes ahead I hope the Oxford students will turn their backs on this shabby exhibition.“
Meanwhile, Luke Tryl, the debating society president, insisted his aim was not to attract publicity but to defeat fascism with "liberal, informed debate… I believe their own publicity will destroy them they will implode." In a poll, 1,062 students voted to support the invitations with 640 against.
