Reform go to war against Bangor University in faux free speech outrage
MAGAfication leads to Reform producing policy for the Welsh elections based on misinformation
Nigel Farage's Reform and swathes of the right wing media have reacted in outrage at Reform MP Sarah Pochin being “banned by Bangor University”, the only problem is that Reform haven’t been banned.
Here's the statement that has caused this furore.
Pochin requested the Debating and Political Society host her for a Q&A, the request was declined, however Reform are being invited to participate in hustings for the upcoming Welsh Parliamentary elections.
From North Wales Live
The Students' Union at Bangor has released a statement on the situation. It clarified it was not involved with the decision of the society. They added that they would hold their own Senedd election hustings with "all" political parties able to participate.
A spokesperson for Bangor Students’ Union said: “Bangor University Debating & Political Society is a student-led society affiliated to the Students’ Union. As with all students‑led groups, societies are run by students and have a level of autonomy in choosing their activities subject to Students’ Union processes and procedures.
"This decision was made by the society itself, and the Students’ Union did not receive any communication in relation to this matter.
“As a registered charity, the Union remains politically neutral and supports freedom of speech within the law. We have previously facilitated robust political engagement safely and constructively.
Reform have clearly not been banned by Bangor University.
Not letting facts get in his way, Reform's head of policy Zia Yusuf has reacted with his usual level-headedness.
It appears Yusuf believes every request by Reform MPs to speak at a society must be accepted. Is it the law that MPs can demand to speak at any university society?
The details get even more twisted as Yusuf says Pochin was banned from a debate rather than a Q&A request being declined.
Reform are being invited to the Student Union’s hustings, but Reform are still willing to threaten cutting university funding over the choice of a single society.
Conservative MP Andrew Griffith decided the choice of one society should lead to all graduates from Bangor being ostracised by employers.
Griffiths doesn’t seem to understand that by playing to Reform's disinformation he is strengthening a rival party.
Steven Barrett, a barrister turned right-wing culture war “legal expert” of choice was also of the opinion that the whole university should be held responsible for one society.
Barrett recently appeared on the podcast of Liz Truss, the former prime minister who blames everyone else apart from herself for her failed premiership.
James Orr, senior policy advisor for Reform, Free Speech Union founder and NatCon board member described this as the worst breach of the Freedom of Speech education Act he has ever seen.
This must mean that Orr hasn’t seen any breaches of the Act, because this didn’t breach the Act. The Act doesn't include societies, and also education in the UK is devolved, the Act applies to England only and not the other home nations like Wales; a worrying lack of understanding the basic details from Reform’s senior policy advisor.
Having realised this error, Reform have now made introducing a free speech in universities law policy for the upcoming Welsh election.
Will Reform make it compulsory for university societies to accept requests from their politicians to speak? Is this protecting free speech or forcing their speech on others?
Jack Anderton, the other speaker whose request was turned down with Pochin, is doing what every culture warrior does, burnishing his cancelled credentials.
It looks like this Q&A was part of an ongoing tour, which suggests the claims of systematic suppression of free speech might be a bit exaggerated.
Predictably for the cancelled Anderton then went on a larger platform to complain that he’s been denied a tiny platform.
The interview with GB News’ radicalised conspiracy theorist Bev Turner will of course have paid little heed to inconvenient facts. Turner who is now based in Washington and recently had a sycophantic interview with Trump, tagged in the Trump administration hoping it would weigh in with more criticism of the UK.
Because in reality Reform have become MAGA UK, concocting crisis out of misinformation and then formulating policy based on these falsehoods.