Godfrey Bloom deserves a welcoming platform

The Durham Tory Soc has invited controversial politician, Godfrey Bloom to an evening in a pub. People are already getting their feathers ruffled, but his right to speak is the whole point of uni. 

Groups like Trevs College Left Action are kicking up a fuss, but whether you like him or not we shouldn’t ever try and stop him speaking. If any of us support free speech we should be welcoming having our world view challenged.

Stopping people coming to speak is not free-speech, but we should always be able to challenge any view that we may disagree with. The culture of tolerance at uni has led us all to be tolerant of people tolerant of everything, but intolerant of those who hold contrary views. Are we only tolerant of total-tolerance?

Barmy objections to Godfrey speaking has caused the venue to be moved. Left wing activists within the DSU were apparently responsible for this, according to Conservatives on Facebook. If we were open to free speech this wouldn’t have happened. This is exactly what is wrong with student politics.

Have these radicals challenged Bloom? No. Have they justified their own position? No. Have they won any battles? No. Have they achieved anything at all in making it be moved? No.

Trevs Left Action are actually doing it right. They’re not protesting, they’re not mindlessly attacking him and trying to stop him coming. They’re planning to give out leaflets and information outside the event – tackling opinions with fact and more opinions.

This is how student politics should be; not banning but challenging.

If we never challenge our views we will never know if they are the best views. We need to be willing to have the debates and be willing to talk with everything from the politically correct to the controversial.

So if you do not like Bloom, welcome his coming here. Let his views be heard, and let his views be challenged. There is no other way to prove his views are wrong and it is a great way for you to prove your views are right.