Tommy Robinson set to debate 'suspicion' of Islam at Oxford Union despite outcry

Tommy Robinson will debate whether the West is "right to be suspicious of Islam" at the Oxford Union, despite outcry from faith leaders, politicians and campaigners. 

The far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will be joined by fellow far-right campaigner Laurence Fox and journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti for the debate on 17 June.

They will be opposed by former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, activist Abdullah al Andalusi and podcaster Michael Doward.

Last month, it was reported the debate was delayed after significant outcry about Mr Yaxley-Lennon's attendance.

The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, and the founder of the Oxford Foundation, Imam Monawar Hussain, said they were "disturbed and saddened" when he was invited to speak.

Ian McKendrick, vice chairman of Oxford Stand Up To Racism, has accused Mr Yaxley-Lennon of inciting "violent race riots" in Southampton, Belfast and Glasgow over the past two weeks.

"They are radicalising tragedies to stir up hate and inspire fear," said Mr McKendrick.

"We cannot stay silent and watch our country descend into chaos and division. Oxford must present a united front and say no to racism, no to fascism."

Anneliese Dodds, the MP for Oxford East, said that Yaxley-Lennon "has no place" in Oxford and accused the union of providing a "loudspeaker" to the far right.

"It is particularly frustrating to see this event still going ahead, despite the union society being well aware of the extent of local concern about it," said Ms Dodds.

The Oxford Union (OU) has a long history of hosting controversial debates, and says its roots "lie in free speech".

Arwa Elrayess, the debating union's president, posted a statement saying OU members will have the opportunity to challenge the speakers in the debate and that she was "delighted" to see the union "continue to uphold the central principle of free speech that this Society was built upon".

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Last week, a motion was put forward by a member to disinvite Mr Yaxley-Lennon from attending, but the motion failed.

It argued the debate "will serve as a rally for Tommy Robinson" and was not conducive to the "future safety of free speech".

At the beginning of the month, the UK government blocked political commentators Cenk Uyghur and Hasan Piker from entering the UK, where they were due to speak at the OU and the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in London.

The pair claimed they were "banned for criticising Israel", while the Home Office said their visas had been revoked because their presence in the UK "may not be conducive to the public good".

The OU held the debate anyway, allowing both speakers to join virtually. It said in a statement at the time that the OU "was founded on one principle: that ideas are challenged through debate, not silenced by decree".

"We have never turned a speaker away because of their political beliefs, nor have we sought a permission slip from the state. We will not start now," the union added.

(c) Sky News 2026: Tommy Robinson set to debate 'suspicion' of Islam at Oxford Union despite outcry