Monday, November 26, 2007

MP quits Oxford Union in BNP row

By Aislinn Simpson Last Updated: 2:00am GMT 26/11/2007

A senior Conservative MP has resigned his membership of the Oxford Union as the pressure mounted on the organisers of tonight's debate on free speech to withdraw an invitation to Nick Griffin, of the British National Party, and Holocaust denier David Irving.
Julian Lewis, the shadow defence 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 Defence Secretary Des Browne, June Sarpong, the television presenter, Austin Mitchell, the Labour MP, and other speakers have pulled out of engagements at the union as a result of the invitation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/26/noxford126.xml

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