“Ukip’s Godfrey Bloom Asks Disabled Student ‘Are You Richard III?’”

On Thursday a Motion that “Post-war Britain has seen too much immigration” was debated at the Oxford Union. Godfrey Bloom, UKIP xenophobe, misogynist and now disablist, was present to support the Motion.

Godfrey Bloom, disablist, racist, misogynist, homophobe (left) and student David Browne at the Oxford Union (right)

Within a few seconds of David Browne, a student opposing the motion, began his opposition Mr Bloom, using a point of order to interrupt Browne, asked in a particularly derisive way “Are you Richard III or not?”

This was a disgraceful slur on Browne, who is disabled; an opportunity for Bloom to score a cheap shot, maybe even faze the young man.

However, David’s rejoinder used Thatcher by stating: "I am always quite flattered when people insist on personal attacks on their opponents as it just demonstrates they have run out of arguments."  

As is so often the situation in environments such as Oxford, instead of the audience expressing its disapproval at such an evidently disablist slur, David Browne seems to have been compelled by convention to take the incident on the chin.

Bloom was able to tell the Channel 4 News that Mr Browne has accepted the comment in good humour; so much so that:” “We enjoyed a good drink and a laugh until one o’clock in the morning on the strength of it.”

However, Mr Browne is reported to have said afterwards: "I didn’t think it was a very nice thing to say. I wasn’t happy with the remark.”

Does David Browne have the right to accept the comment in good humour? Scumbags like Godfrey Bloom open their mouths and spew out disablist, racist, misogynist, homophobic comments safe in the knowledge that they can’t be touched. They peddle their filth with impunity, often backed by papers such as the Daily Hate and Sun and the high priests of hate Richard Littlejohn and Rod Liddle waiting to champion them in the scum press.

David Browne, the longer we allow the Blooms of this world to run roughshod with their mouths or pens; the longer disabled people will have to endure slurs and put downs in reference to their physical appearances. Since you’re not happy with the remark, make a formal complaint. Don’t give Godfrey Bloom free rein to insult and abuse with impunity.