The Thick(ness) of It

The Oxford Union's decision to invite Chris Langham to speak is just a publicity stunt, despite what the current President says.

As a fan of the BBC comedy series, The Thick of It, I was both shocked and disappointed when its main star, Chris Langham, was convicted of child pornography offences. As a result of his actions, his career - which had up to that point promised so much - ended abruptly.

So it is with some confusion that I heard the news this week that the Oxford Union will be inviting Chris Langham to speak this term.

On what, exactly? How to commit child pornography offences?

I supported the Union over their decision to invite Nick Griffin and David Irving for a debate on free speech - their attendance had some relevance to the topic under discussion.

However, inviting Chris Langham for a speaker meeting is not, in the same way, defensible.

Current President Ben Tansey suggests that "[The Oxford Union] do not invite speakers for publicity."

He is wrong.