University of Portsmouth Students’ Union axed Peter Hitchens’ planned talk after just 100 complaints – but controversial columnist calls it a ‘ridiculous fatwa’

A UNIVERSITY students’ union axed a controversial columnist’s appearance after receiving just 100 complaints as the ‘risk’ was too great.
Peter HitchensPeter Hitchens
Peter Hitchens

Journalist Peter Hitchens had been due to take part in a debate at the University of Portsmouth Students’ Union during LGBT awareness month but the union axed his planned February 12 appearance at a meeting last week.

Internal documents from the students’ union seen by The News show the organisation ‘received multiple emails from students’ and there was ‘significant volumes of social media feedback expressing concerns over the timing of the event’, on top of the 100 people who raised concerns.

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The union insists it has ‘postponed’ the debate and wants to rearrange – while the Mail on Sunday’s Mr Hitchens, who has caused controversy with his views on gay marriage, says what he calls a ‘cancellation’ is a ‘ridiculous fatwa’.

Students had variously called for the invitation to be cancelled, for a ‘public apology’ and to ban Mr Hitchens from campus, the minutes show.

George Pykov, an elected vice president at the union, suggested the union could ‘facilitate a protest for the upset students instead of cancelling, this will show we are not taking sides and we are giving the opposing side their freedom of speech without shutting down the event.’

But the minutes reveal the leadership team agreed ‘the risk of having the event in February was greater than postponement’. They added the union is ‘committed to our focus on celebrating LGBT+ month but equally values the opportunity for debate and freedom of speech’.

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On Thursday the union said there had been inaccurate media reports saying the event was cancelled, but restricted its reasoning behind the decision to students.

In a blog to students the union said: ‘We believe you are entitled to know the truth behind the published stories in the national press and how the decisions were made to request a rescheduled event.’ The details were subsequently leaked to The News.

Mr Hitchens said: ‘They still continue with this nonsense about postponement.

‘Don't they realise they can't undo their insult to me and to free speech? Plainly they simply panicked and gave in to pressure to shut me up. I knew immediately I opened the e-mail that I’d never speak there again.

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‘My instant response to them, within seconds of opening the e-mail, was “So much for free speech. Let's forget this, eh?”.

‘The fact that they can't understand what they've done, or call it by its proper name, is their problem.

‘The meeting was shut down because they don't like my opinions. They still won't like them next month. They plainly prefer censorship to courage. I wouldn't accept a cup of coffee from them, let alone any funds tainted by contact with them, for any future meeting.

‘If I ever do speak in Portsmouth it will on premises not controlled by them, at the invitation of a body which has no connection with them and their ridiculous fatwa.

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‘You can't shut down a meeting because you dislike the speaker's view on Tuesday, and then claim he can come back next week because you will then have somehow stopped disliking his views. Like losing your virginity on Tuesday and then claiming the following week that you've got it back.’

Mr Hitchens does not ask for fees from student organisations but sometimes has travel expenses paid.

The students’ union said it attempted to reschedule due to Mr Hitchens’ ‘unsuitable’ published views that would clash with LGBT awareness month.

Deputy chief executive Tom Worman said: ‘We did not cancel the talk. We've asked journalist Peter Hitchens to reschedule his visit.’

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He added: ‘Mr Hitchens has no obligation to accept our invitation but it is important that it is made clear the students’ union wants him to have the opportunity to speak to students. 

‘The minutes of the meeting cover the headline points discussed around the complex situation identified at the time and decisions were made on a majority voting basis.’