Dr Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East and shadow defence minister, has resigned his life membership to the Oxford Union in protest at the invitation of David Irving and Nick Griffin to the society. Dr Lewis wrote in a letter to the Union's officers and standing committee that "Nothing which happens in Monday's debate can possibly offset the boost you are giving to a couple of scoundrels who can put up with anything except being ignored."In an open letter to Union members on 15 October 2007, Union President Luke Tryl maintained that "Stopping them from speaking only allows them to become free speech martyrs."
The extension of invitations to Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, and David Irving, a historian jailed for three years in Austria for holocaust denial, has drawn widespread criticism. A poll was added to the ballot at Union elections on Friday, in which members supported the invitation of the speakers by a margin of 1000 to 600.
The sold-out event is scheduled to take place at the Union Monday, November 26th at 8:30pm.
MP resigns Union membership over Free Speech Forum
