Brandon Lewis, Conservative chairman, writes: sign our free speech petition

Conservatives



Last night, Momentum-supporting thugs broke into a university event and tried to silence Conservatives. Wearing balaclavas, they tried through violence and intimidation to stop the ideas that they disagreed with from being heard.



Momentum, the left-wing campaign group, was set up after Mr Corbyn's initial victory as Labour leader to keep the spirit and politics of his campaign alive.


Young people have a right to hear all sides of the political debate. So we’ll protect free speech by stepping up our speaker programme – making sure Conservative voices are heard in universities across the country.


Together, we can send a message to Labour and Momentum.



Those who try to shut down speakers are afraid of letting students make up their own minds.




With best wishes,


The Rt. Hon. Brandon Lewis MP
Chairman of the Conservative Party

 
Promoted by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 4 Matthew Parker Street, London, SW1H 9HQ

Comments

Jim said…
why does it help, come on think about this for a moment.

Ok, so you have an argument against my position, i decide that other people should not hear that argument, so I no platform you

what is the first thing the audience will do, do you think. Personally i think its go home and look into your argument, and the facts you would have made, but of course they will look more deeply into your argument than you ever could have given in a 10 minute presentation.

Title a video on you tube, the facts *INSERT NAME HERE* does not want you to know. and low and behold you will generate much more traffic, most of which will stay to the end.

Its how people work, label a button "do not press" put it in a waiting room and watch a camera feed, how many to you think will press it?
8:19 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Lots of them would.

You are exactly right.

The idiots who put on balaclava helmets, turned up at the back of Jacob Rees-Mogg's meeting and started shouting have given him acres and acres of press coverage and millions of mentions on social media this weekend, most of it favourable to him.

The Sun even suggested that he came out of it looking like Ghandi.

Attempt to ban or disrupt speakers are not good for democracy - though they can be wonderful for whoever is being protested against!
9:00 pm
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