BNP to speak at Exeter University?

| Saturday, 27 October 2007 Source: Searchlight

It looks like Exeter University Debating Society is again providing a platform for the British National Party. The anti-fascist Monitoring Group Rural Racism Project received an email from Daryl Scatcherd, the Debating Society's president, inviting it to provide a speaker to oppose the motion, "This house believes the BNP should have the right to express their views on university campuses".

The debate is to take place on the evening of Friday 2 November. The Monitoring Group believes that BNP speakers, perhaps even Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, have been invited to take part. Exeter University Debating Society has a long history of trying to provide a platform for the BNP, although most events have been called off at the last minute in the face of massive protests.

Scatcherd's letter says: "It will fundamentally be a debate on the issue of Freedom of Speech and we were hoping you could debate the reasons why people like the BNP should not be given the same rights as others when it comes to university education." It is easy to see which side he is on, and he must be pretty stupid to think that anti-fascists will debate the issue with the BNP.

The BNP has been active distributing its local Grassroots newsletter in Torquay and Exeter over the past two weeks.

The Monitoring Group asks people to email Daryl Scatcherd at dps203@exeter.ac.uk to demand clarification on whether the BNP has been invited to take part in the debate and who the speakers will be.

If you receive a reply, please pass it on to Searchlight (editors@searchlightmagazine.com) and the Monitoring Group (jmckenzie@monitoring-group.co.uk), so that we can coordinate action.