Reform will not defund Bangor university over free speech row, politician says

Reform UK will not withdraw funding from Bangor University over a row about free speech, one its Welsh politicians has said.

In a BBC Wales debate Francesca O'Brien distanced herself from the party's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, who suggested Bangor University could have its funding stripped because a debating society refused an invitation to hear from a Reform MP.

O'Brien said it was sad that debating societies wanted to hear from an "echo chamber" but added: "We don't agree with taking the funding away because universities play a vital part in our society."

Reform's attack on Bangor was met with strong criticism from other politicians on the programme, with one guest calling it "Trumpian".

A Reform source has told BBC Wales journalists that Yusuf's comments on X had not represented party policy.

The party has, however, also pledged to bring in a new law to enshrine a free speech duty on universities in Wales, threatening financial penalties or withdrawing financial support if they do not comply, should it win the next Senedd election.

Swansea councillor Francesca O'Brien made her comments on a Walescast Your Voice debate in Aberystwyth ahead of the vote in May.

She said: "It was really sad that in this day and age... that debating societies only want to debate with an echo chamber with the same people who agree with them.

"That is not a healthy society.

"It's more about upholding the right that any political party can go in there."

Asked who speaks for the party, and whether it was Zia Yusuf, she said: "In Wales, we are going to be having our manifesto in March, that is when our policies will be announced."

Pushed on whether Yusuf would be there, she added: "He might be."

The Lib Dem's Glyn Preston said: "As I understand it, it was Reform UK who invited themselves to this debate, and then they said no."

He compared it to inviting yourself to someone's house, and tweeting "when you don't let me in".

Labour's Calum Higgins accused Yusuf of following "in Trump's footsteps and threatening a university over something he didn't like".

For the Wales Green Party, Philip Davies said it was up to the student debating society to decide who they hear from adding: "What I am fed up with is English politicians threatening to defund Welsh institutions."

Conservative Sam Kurtz praised the way in which the university dealt with it, and said: "I really enjoyed that Bangor University themselves tweeted in Welsh, outlining their position on that. I thought, big tick."

Plaid Cymru's Nerys Evans said the immediate response from Reform was "shocking".

"This is going to be the political discourse up until the Senedd election. If it's freedom of speech, if it's stuff to do with climate change, stuff to do with the Welsh language - if you don't agree with Reform, your funding is going to be cut."

Bangor University's debating society had rejected a request by Reform MP Sarah Pochin and campaigner Jack Anderton to address students, saying it had "zero tolerance for any form of racism, transphobia or homophobia displayed by the members of Reform UK".

The university had distanced itself from the decision, saying it welcomed debate across the political spectrum.

Yusuf had said on X: "Bangor receives £30m in state funding a year, much of which comes from Reform-voting taxpayers.

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

After the social media message was sent, a Reform UK Wales source has said that was not Welsh party policy.

They have instead pointed to a Welsh policy, launched the same day which will place a free speech duty on universities.

That policy would give ministers powers to impose financial penalties or, "withdraw financial support".

The law would allow for individuals to take the matter to court.

"Institutions that then continue to curtail open debate, in breach of new requirements, will lose public funding," Reform Wales said in a press release on Tuesday.