'Same old cancel culture' : Oxford Union President shouldn't lose his place over Charlie Kirk comments, Badenoch tells LBC

The incoming Oxford Union President should not lose his place at university for celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination, the Tory leader has told LBC.

Kemi Badenoch insisted that George Abaraonye's response to the conservative US activist's death was "quite sad" but she did not believe he should lose his job.

Speaking to Iain Dale as part of Call Kemi, she insisted that she did not want to see "cancel culture" take away his right to voice his opinion.

But people who did "break the law" should face punishment, Ms Badenoch insisted.

George Abaraonye has faced death threats after social media posts showed him appearing to celebrate the death of the activist, who he had previously debated.

The Oxford Union has condemned his comments, but said they represent his personal opinions.

Ms Badenoch said: "I thought it was quite sad because unlike many of us, he'd actually met Charlie Kirk, he debated him.

"I think there's only one response to what happened to Charlie Kirk, and that is condolences and sorrow and a disgust that people are killed for their views, no matter what those views are."

But when grilled on whether he should lose his position, she said: "This is one of those issues where you have to take a call on what it is you're defending.

"If you believe in free speech, then you also believe in the right for people to say things that you don't want, that you don't want to hear."

The debating society at Oxford has said Mr Abaraonye's comments will be treated with "the utmost seriousness" and he is facing a vote of confidence.

Ms Badenoch added: "And should people be losing their jobs, their places at university because they said something that we didn't like? I don't think so.

"I think if they said something that broke the law, yes.

"I think there's a more convincing case that should he be the president of a debating society if he doesn't respect free speech? I think that's a different question.

"But asking somebody to lose their university place because you don't like what they said is the same cancel culture, which I rejected when it was coming from the left.

"And so I will continue to reject it because it is the principle of free speech I support."

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She spoke about when her colleague and friend Sir David Amess was killed nearly four years ago, and the murder of Jo Cox MP to a far-right extremist during the referendum campaign, saying it was a "risk" that politicians take to speak out.

She added: "It's a risk that we all take as politicians, that you stick your head above the parapet and you get attention.

"It's why many politicians don't want to say anything controversial and they want to talk about puppies and animal rights and nice things so that they're not hated because nobody would disagree with them.

"But real politics requires real courage. It requires people who aren't going to be pushed around, people who will say things even though that there is a risk. That's the sort of person I am.

"Our country was built on people doing that, making sacrifices, doing their duty. That's the kind of leader that I want to be and that's what I'll keep doing."

A University of Oxford spokesperson said on Friday: "The Oxford Union is independent of the University.

"We deplore comments appearing to endorse violence - they are unacceptable and entirely contrary to the values of our community."