Uproar as Reform policy chief threatens to defund Welsh university

I expect they've been sending such 'requests for invitations' everywhere with the precise hope of getting this response. Better to just ignore them.

Sorry, no free speech for fascists.

Anyone shocked? They push hate and division and want this, this was never about "debate" it's about creating a narrative. Pochin's outburst was a vile racist rant. Farage did not withdraw the whip. And we know farages mind anyway. And Anderton sounds a right know it all charmer intent on re writing history, the Allies stood up to people doing what farage joked about. His grasp of history seems to come off the back of a cornflake packet.

Da iawn Prifysgol Bangor. Stand firm. We will democratically crush the mind disease that is Deform UK.

Reform don't like educated people. They're more capable of scrutiny and questions that Refoem won't or can't answer.

Everything they do is designed to get a rise out of people so they can play the victim if someone responds the way they want them to. Notice how when people call them racist, they cry foul. However when people call them grifters and con artists (a much more accurate description) they stay eerily quiet.

Given how many young people dislike reform, this could do Bangor the world of good for next years recruitment cycle!

“Bangor University have [sic] banned Reform..." My biggest worry is that these people regularly reveal themselves as having the intellectual powers of a potato, yet there are still those in our society clamouring to vote for them. We must not be complacent.

Wrong decision. People like Reform are exposed by scrutiny and debate. Their campaign in Caerphilly was killed stone dead by the lady in the debate’s audience. That’s the way to do it. This just turns them into “victims”.

Reform have a democratic right to spout their bile, Bangor Debating Society have a democratic right not to give them a platform to do so. Up yours Yusuf, to misquote a Sun headline.

Totally agree. Lets not run in fear from Reform - take them on. Its what democracy is about.

That would be Reform

As others have pointed out, shutting down debate in this way is not the way to handle "undesirable" ideas. It leaves the problem of intolerance unresolved. It will only be overcome by engaging with it and using reason to refute its claims and positions. People generally adopt intolerant views due to ignorance. Education usually brings them around. That requires throwing a light on bad ideas, and showing them to be such. Cancel culture is a blight on our society. It's as intolerant as those it decries as being intolerant. Go figure.

No, he doesn't. He picks his audience and he runs away when he is cornered with facts. When his tory stooges are asked awkward questions, he takes over the Q+A to deflect (eg. see the bloke that had serious tax issues trying to answer on vaccines when farage is anti vax and farage took over the mic.)

I mean, they explicitly want to emulate Trump's unambiguously fascist regime. The fascists in today's political climate are them.

*there it is* - the euphemistic "curtailing of women's rights hem hem". You absolutely will be voting Reform.

Clearly you've never been to a university, otherwise you would understand that there is a difference between a university as an institution and a student debating society within that university. Reform's response to this is a blatant attempt at trying to get a university to kow tow to Farage (rhymes with garage).

It's not the University, it's a student debating society.

So on that basis I take it you'd say that Reform are also not able to function when they pick and choose which questions they answer from the press? You could say that as a Ltd company with one person at the top calling the shots that Reform UK are suppressing their supporters' free speech when it comes to the democratic running of the party. O hang on.. it's not a democratic party is it?. As we've seen in America the Right loves free speech until someone disagrees with them. Funny that.

They can do their debating already. Set up a web stream with Pochin or whoever. Every Friday they invite a different University student population to a debate. Doesn't need to physically be in Bangor. There, infinite debate, they can speak out all they want and people can join or not join. They don't have any right to be heard.

Pochin demanded an audience. Uni said no. Reform got all fascist. All you need to know.

Pochin previous. "ads full of black and asian people drive me mad" Why I would not agree with that opinion, I never know. She is entitled to that opinion, it is not being banned. She demanded audience here, this is a fishing trip.

It always raises a smile when people like Yusuf play the 'free speech' card and simultaneously fail to appreciate the difference between the student debating society and the University itself. Has he not grasped that the society is merely exercising its own right to deny a platform to a brand of politics that clash with its own ideals, and this has nothing to do with Bangor University itself? Having been thrown off an anti-20mph social media group myself, one which supports a Reform UK policy, for simply pointing out the reduction in injuries since the policy's introduction, I wonder how many supposed 'free speech' advocates on that particular site leapt to my defence before I was silenced?

Today Mr Yusuf will be mostly eating sour grapes.

"The Debating and Political Society received a request" That's not how it works. A university cancelling opinions is when the society *invites* a speaker and this is blocked by the senior administration. What we've got here is a dodgy guy knocking at the door telling you there's a problem with your roof and they'll fix it today for cash who gets angry and threatening when you politely decline.

The tide on *that*, if I read you correctly, was 'turned' (among a minority of people) via UK/US thinktanks demonstrably funded by Epstein and associates. He at least got the ball rolling. I am trans and continue to exist, despite the best efforts of the worst people in the world.

So when Reform refuses Nation.Cymru entry to their press conferences, that's ok?

Absolutely correct. Once exceptions to democracy creep in, you have no true democracy. It’s very dangerous.

This is right out of the Donald Trump playbook by Reform's Zia Yusuf. They love to threaten & intimidate if they don't get their way. Imagine what damage they'd do to Wales if allowed. Like a drunk in control of a vehicle. They are a danger to Welsh democracy. And I've said this before. Just look at Reform controlled councils in England. Shambolic. They couldn't run a tap let alone a country. #Ymlaen 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #PlaidCymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #PuttingWalesFirstNotLast 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿#ReformUK 🇬🇧 #RestHomeForFailedTories 🇬🇧 #WelshNot ⛔

They aren't entitled to force anyone to host them. They can host their own debates if they want to. Invite students from Bangor along. I'm sure there'd be queues round the block lol They won't do that, of course, because the whole point of this exercise was to bleat about being silenced.

It was only a matter of time before incomers would be telling us what we can or cannot do!

Your point would be correct were we to have a truly unbiased media and there wasn't a ruling class using their immense wealth to brainwash the population into voting against their own interests. We would also require a highly educated and literate population capable of rational thought. Instead we have a society where one in six of the adult population are functionally illiterate. In short, there is no level playing field here, and our tactics and actions must reflect that.

The thing is Reform seem to pick and choose which questions they answer from the press so they are trying to control the debate. You could say that as a Ltd company with one person at the top calling the shots that Reform UK are suppressing their supporters' views when it comes to the democratic running of the party. But we all know it's not a democratic party is it? As we've seen in America, the Right loves free speech until someone disagrees with them.

And there we have it. The showing of your true colours.

You are right of course. Trying to police opinions and categorise them as correct or incorrect has never been the hallmark of any enduring and successful society. Living within a tolerant society and having respect for difference is really the only desirable way to live.

He’s running scared. He doesn’t want all the other universities following suit as the Reform vote would collapse.

Just add it to the Deform manifesto that major institutions will be forced to welcome Fascists, yet another reason to send them packing in May.

If they want debate, why did they not turn up yesterday to the committee rooms in the HoC? Might it have been the debate on Russian interference giving them the scares? See how they play this "debate" game?

The irony of it all . Anderton will only allow those to attend his event who have a full ID check. He cites "security reasons" There are of course many who might object to that Least of all those who might be discriminated and excluded. Yet Nigel Farage has stated "He would rather go to jail than carry an ID card "😂

The new Bogey Man cometh, run children, he wants to steal your mind, god protect us from the devils coming our way.... If you folks in the south east do it again we will never forgive you...

Screw them! Let them pant and pontificate all they want - makes them look silly, weak and spiteful.

Surely a university debating society should be inviting the views of groups of differing views to “debate” them, surely that’s the point instead of cancelling them. Just because they’re differing views to that of a left wing debating group, doesn’t mean they’re racist or wrong. They have enough of a mainstream support, so shouldnt be discounted or cancelled. Im not a reform voter by the way, just very tired of the same old left wing rhetoric and cancel culture. Charlie Kirk was correct, to heal divisions, we need open and respectful debate, and realise that we’re not all polar opposites and that there is more common ground between different groups than the mainstream media and/or social media would lead us to believe.

Da iawn Bangor. Cer i crafu RefUK!

I do not agree with Bangor University’s stance, and in some ways it can appear inconsistent given that many universities host a wide range of political societies with controversial or strongly ideological views. That said, universities are autonomous institutions, and it should not be the role of government to pressure them into supporting or hosting a particular politician.

Why did they target Bangor anyway. Reform have done this for a reason, or rather farages handlers have told him to target Bangor.

isnt the point to debate things we disagree on .. by not hosting them you're essentially silencing a view or set of views you dont like .. usual tactic used in socialist and later totalitarian societies.

Yeah bring it on. Support for independence would quadruple. "English Nationalist Party closes down Welsh university."