Friday 28-10-2022 - 10:04

Jack Ballingham, Opportunities Officer, has released a statement on the Durham Union Society's decision to invite Rod Liddle as a guest speaker.

The Durham Union Society, a privately owned members’ club on the Bailey, has long been a focal point of debate at Durham. For many years it has played host to parliamentary-style debates by tuxedo-clad provocateurs and “commentators”. 

I do not question the Durham Union Society’s right to invite anyone. What I now question is their judgement in deciding to make invitations. The Durham Union Society must recognise that its actions have consequences on our community. 

Durham SU is deeply concerned by the decision to invite Rod Liddle to a debate in the upcoming academic term. Last December Liddle crashed South College’s Christmas dinner with a crass speech, intended only for his self-promotion.  

Given his record, the decision to invite Liddle back to Durham less than a year later is clearly not made in good faith. The Durham Union Society’s priority is to generate outrage and sell its expensive memberships, without any thought for the impact on our community. This theatrical clickbait approach to debate is irresponsible. Durham students are being offered as a punching bag for the self-promotion of one man. 

The views that people like Liddle normally espouse in this type of debate are not intellectual, interesting or original. They do not contribute to students’ learning and development. A “debate” of this kind is, in fact, only an act of theatre. It is intended to provoke and offend – it advances nothing and benefits nobody’s education. There are other speakers in that debate, but they are local politicians and journalists with a connection to Durham. Liddle only wants to mock us – why was he invited to insult us a second time? 

The Durham Union Society has forgotten that free speech is also a responsibility. They could withdraw their invitation to Liddle and invite somebody of substance to speak in the debate if they wanted to. Until they do, it is clear that they do not understand why Durham students do not trust them to have reformed their organisation for the better. 

Durham University is made a better place to advance education if more diverse students share and discuss ideas in a curious, dynamic, exciting intellectual community. Durham SU supports and is committed to promoting freedom of speech within the law. 

Durham students will rightly want to protest this abuse of their community. This is their right to free speech in action, just as much as anyone else’s. Durham SU will support them in this.