The Free Speech Union is helping Renaud Camus, the French philosopher who came up with the ‘Great Replacement’ theory, fight the Home Office ban on him entering the UK. The Telegraph has more.
Renaud Camus, the French writer behind the “great replacement” theory that Europe’s indigenous populations are being displaced by migrants, was prevented from travelling to the UK, where he intended to speak later this month.
The decision has sparked concerns over free speech, with the Government warned against sending the wrong message during trade negotiations with Donald Trump.
The Telegraph understands Mr Camus is planning to appeal against the ban with the help of the Free Speech Union, led by Lord Young, a Tory peer.
It is unclear exactly why the philosopher was barred from the UK, but the Home Office has said his presence “was not considered to be conducive to the public good”.
Lord Young said: “We’ve reached out to him to see if he’d like any help in appealing this decision, and he said yes. So I anticipate that we are going to be getting an immigration lawyer on the case.”
The Tory peer said it was “wrong” for the Government to bar Mr Camus from entering the UK.
He said: “I don’t think that the common good is endangered by inviting people to set out their contentious views in the public square, particularly not someone as distinguished as Mr Camus.”
Lord Young said it seemed “tin-eared” for the Home Office to impose the ban while Sir Keir Starmer is attempting to secure a trade deal with Mr Trump, given the US state department has recently expressed concerns about “freedom of expression” in the UK.
A US source told The Telegraph at the time that there should be “no free trade without free speech”.
Sir Keir said he “made clear” in talks with JD Vance, the US vice-president, earlier this year that the UK guarded free speech “preciously”.
Lord Young said: “We’re trying to secure a trade deal with the United States, and the United States have flagged up that one of the conditions of the deal will be that we make a better fist of defending free speech.”
He added: “Keir Starmer said at a White House press conference that free speech was in robust good health in the UK, and didn’t need to be given any lessons about how to uphold it from the United States. But if that’s true, why is the Government no-platforming people?”
It is understood that Mr Camus was due to deliver a speech at an event organised by the nationalist and anti-immigration Homeland Party.
He said he was also set to debate at the Oxford Union later this year, with those plans now thrown into doubt. …
Lord Young said: “If Mr Camus wants to be sure of being able to visit the United Kingdom, maybe he should come over in a dinghy in the middle of the night. That way, he’s guaranteed entry.”
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