Where's the free speech issue? A majority vote by an elected committee rescinded an invite to a person of power and disproportionate influence who has spent much of her job denying rights to others. I'd simply have put a Windrush victim in her place, & 'given' them free speech
1) I'm sick of people weaponising the idea of "free speech". Inviting someone from the establishment and then revoking their invite is not even an issue of quashing rights. Someone with enormous privilege has thrown a tantrum because their privilege to utilise their influence for
2) Political gain has been challenged. It is especially acute because it happened at Oxford, a historic and elite establishment to which British politicians feel entitled. Rudd has many other platforms from which to exercise her rights, to a much wider audience (eg Twitter)
3) Remember this is not about free speech, the main issue here is of parity of access to public speech and public platforms. Even inviting Rudd is acknowledging that some people's worthiness to influence or speak is somehow greater than others. Imagine if Rudd's victims were
4) afforded the same opportunities to express their opinions publically and in such reputable surroundings to such large & influential audiences. We'd live in a much more equal & "freer" society. In short, Rudd's ability to exercise her disproportionate privilege has been checked
