Oxford Union alumni will descend on city to try to oust president-elect

[BonfireLady]

Well, that's quite a turn up for the free speech books!

When the president-elect of the Oxford Union debating society hit the headlines with his awful celebration of a violent assassination, I hoped that he would be declared unfit to run it. Yes, I support free speech, including the right to offend. However, he is president-elect of a debating society and is simply not fit for the role if he's advocating assassination in place of debate. Charlie Kirk was killed while debating. Specifically while answering a question about trans(-identifying) people, by a young man who is/was in a romantic relationship with a (transwo)man.

It seems like this university is waking up to the idea that critical thinking is a good thing. Please keep thinking Oxford Union...... 🤞

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/14/oxford-union-alumni-descend-city-oust-president-elect/

He's written quite a lengthy statement and this was included:

When a national columnist explicitly calls for you to be shot, and your family receives threats, it creates an environment where reasoned debate cannot exist.

Obviously it's appalling that his family received threats but which national columnist explicitly called for him to be shot? Does anyone know? That sounds rather far-fetched and I would hope that this isn't what happened.

Edited for clarity.

They did not elaborate

I’m sure the BBC will offer him a job.

That just made it more democratic. Interesting to see how Abaraonye plans to argue for no confidence when two thirds of the vote benefited from Harraj's decision because they were able to participate.

Absolutely graceless and pathetic. No decency, no dignity, no humility.

Unexpected leopards ate my face?

I agree, it's the actions of Abaraonye that appear spiteful and retaliatory.

Abaraonye and his supporters are making this so much worse for the union and themselves.

I keep changing my mind between 1. is Abaraonye trying to destroy the union and 2. he is a entitled and immature young man who struggles with being told he is wrong.

There are two issues that I see here which are bound up with why I find the left currently so troubling:

1. The purpose of a debating society is to create an arena for the engagement of ideas. For that to happen personal enmity and the threat of external sanctions should be, to the greatest extent possible, be set aside. For someone to say that they are glad that another was killed for their stated beliefs is categorically contrary to that spirit. That should be obvious and there should be repercussions. It is practically the definitional antecedent of fascism.
2. To have engaged someone face to face in a debate, to have heard his voice and seen him stand before you as a person and then express pleasure in the fact that he was brutally murdered unmasks you as a sociopath and dangerous individual who should be kept far away from institution of power and influence.

Unfortunately, the left as it's currently comprised elevates such beliefs and people to positions of power and influence. It's abhorrent and highly disturbing. Doubly so that it's taken over such prominent institutions. IMO this is a crisis and an exceedingly grave development.

If Oxford graduates/past members of the union have powerful positions then is this matter something that might grab their attention? It's almost like a Budlite moment for the university and it's powerful alumni? If £500k funds and 40 speakers were on hold/withdrawn as a result of George's thoughtless social media activity, pushing the OU to the brink of collapse, then perhaps closer attention needs to be paid to who you leave in charge.

I am interested in why there was a lower turnout when he was voted in and what changes to disciplinary processes he was pushing.

Oxford Union president-elect loses vote after Charlie Kirk posts - BBC News

Oh, anything that keeps Jolyon busy and away from ranting at women online is useful.

Given Jolly's status as a kind of kite mark o'shite and failure, maybe we should just agree to share.

I've been wondering why Abaraonye dressed like such a total slob when debating Charlie Kirk. Maybe Jolly was using the kimono that day.

@ThatCyanCat maybe he's done other debates dressed like that? I wondered that too, when it first came out. I did think it might just be an oppositional thing because he expected Charlie to wear a suit.

It was disrespectful towards both his opponent and the Union. It's not because it was impossible to obtain a suit, there are pics of him in a suit. If he didn't have any respect for Kirk then he shouldn't have debated with him and if he has no respect for the Union, as his texts claim, then he shouldn't be involved with it.

He might be a tactical genius but it's more likely he just wants to be both elite and a rebel at the same time. Taking the status of a position while pretending not to give a shit about it. Although he sure seems to give a shit now.

@ThatCyanCat I absolutely agree it was disrespectful

I am just curious to know if that was the only debate where he dressed like that - I can totally imagine him turning up for others dressed like that.

Well eighth months ago in a suit in the union debating (DJ no less) and making jokes about Jolyon Maugham (who is in the audience), clearly capable of respect for the right people. (TBF some of the people there appear to be in ball gowns so perhaps its some special sort of party, but yes he does appear to have access to smart clothes).

'I think toxic masculinity comes from a a level of misogyny where I
think toxic femininity often comes from a reaction to a misogynistic system uh
which fundamentally oppresses and systematically oppresses women'

Could be quite an interesting discussion, fwiw, and definitely relevant to FWR!

(Quote is from George Abaraonye, who may be wearing slippers and a batman T shirt but is arguing politely and respectfully. He argues eloquently and convincingly.)

Yes he would own a suit as it is part of academic dress (sub fusc).

Tbh tho he wasn't one of the hosts of debate just a debater so it isn't as bad as made out in media.

Doesn't look like that debate has a dress code.

Yeah some students are probably going to rock up in odd clothes. Perhaps had an essay crisis.

Apologies for the poor quality screenshot. He is contesting because of issues with the (last minute introduced) proxy voting by email. Until that is resolved he remains President-elect.

Thanks for posting the link to the debate. Actually that makes George's reaction to him death worse as they were discussing men's mental health.

maybe he's done other debates dressed like that

I imagine he thought he was intellectually and politically superior to everyone else so he wasn’t going to be ordered around about how to dress.
Do you remember that chap Sam Bankman-Fried who always wore cargo pants for every occasion.
I guess it’s some sort of statement.

It seems mad that he wants to contest the result. Surely the sensible thing to do would be to stop the Streisand effect by sloping off quietly and then hope that it quickly becomes a forgotten headline on yesterday's chip paper.

Instead, it now has echoes of the Bush v Gore "hanging chad" issue and Trump "election fraud" claims..... and he's simply (and visibly) coming across as a bad loser.

@Retiredfromthere oh I know he's got other clothes

I was just thinking that the decision to wear what he did with Charlie Kirk is probably a calculated choice and probably one that he has made with other debates.

Oh there's grounds to contest the result but not resigning in the first place was idiotic.

The email by proxy was added at the last minute, (supposedly) he survived if it was just in person.

So for instant it's possible someone used the email and deleted some votes. Oxford Union politics can get erm... vicious.

Depending on what email server was used they might be able to check.

‘We equivocally deny …’

Eh???

There were a couple of others too.

He's just not clever enough to be there.

Agreed.

Idiotically as well he put his below standard offer A level grades (ABB) on his LinkedIn profile.

You don't need to put A level grades on LinkedIn.