Student society bans Reform UK for 'racism, transphobia and homophobia'

Bangor University has distanced itself from a decision by its student debating society to refuse a question-and-answer session with Reform UK.

The society said it rejected a request by Reform MP Sarah Pochin and campaigner Jack Anderton to address students, citing "zero tolerance for any form of racism, transphobia or homophobia displayed by the members of Reform UK".

The party's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, suggested a Reform government would pull £30m of funding from the university, although a source from the party's Welsh branch told BBC Wales this was not party policy.

Bangor University said societies were run by the Students' Union, and it welcomed debate "across the political spectrum".

The Students' Union at Bangor said the decision was made by the society, not the Union, which remains "politically neutral and supports freedom of speech within the law".

The Bangor Debating & Political Society, based at the university in Gwynedd, north Wales, said Reform was not welcome following a request from Anderton and Pochin, MP for Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire.

The society said it had rejected the request from Reform "in line with our values", adding: "We stand by this decision as a committee."

"Their approach to the lives of others is antithetical to the values of welcoming and fair debate that our society has upheld for 177 years," the society said.

"We are proud to be the first of the debating unions to take a stand against Reform UK.

"We strongly implore our fellow societies to join us in keeping hate out of our universities."

Posting on X, Yusuf said: "Bangor University have banned Reform and called us 'racist, transphobic and homophobic'".

"Bangor receives £30m in state funding a year, much of which comes from Reform-voting taxpayers," he said.

"I am sure they won't mind losing every penny of that state funding under a Reform government."

Anderton said he and Pochin had asked them to host an event as part of the A New Dawn Tour, adding: "We're looking at other ways to bring this to Bangor students - with or without them."

"Bangor University's Debating & Political Society isn't interested in debating," he said.

Reform's Welsh branch tried to distance itself from Yusuf's comments on Tuesday, with a source telling BBC Wales it was not party policy.

The source said that its new leader Dan Thomas was in charge of Welsh policy, not Yusuf.

Reform Wales said it would impose a legal duty on universities to protect free speech on campus within the first 100 days of a Reform Welsh government, should it win the Senedd election in May.

Dan Thomas, Reform's Welsh leader, said it would be the "strongest higher education free speech protections in the United Kingdom".

He said: "It's a sad state of affairs when a university debating society wants to de-platform a leading political party.

"Universities should be a place of free discussion and engagement with different ideas, but too often groups within universities want to wrap themselves in cotton wool."

Welsh government minister Jane Hutt said the move by the society was a decision for the students.

"It is for them," Hutt said in response to a question from Reform MS Laura Anne Jones.

Plaid Cymru's Sian Gwenllian criticised Yusuf's comments, saying "bullying and threats" would not be tolerated.

A Bangor University spokesperson said the student-run debating society had issued the statement, which did not come from Bangor University.

"The views expressed by societies are their own and do not reflect university policy," they added.

The spokesperson said the university welcomed debate from "across the political spectrum".

A Bangor Students' Union spokesperson said the "student-led" society made the decision independently and it "did not receive any communication in relation to this matter".

It added societies operated autonomously within its procedures and that the students' union remained "politically neutral".

The spokesperson said an impartial Senedd election hustings event, organised by the Union, will offer "a fair and balanced opportunity for participation from across all political parties".

Founded in 1849, Bangor Debating & Political Society is the oldest student society in Wales, it claims.

A statement on its website said: "As public discourse evolves, the society's commitment to reasoned, inclusive debate remains as vital as ever."

Additional reporting by David Deans