Bristol University students ban British Army from freshers' fair

Iain Duncan Smith slams ‘safe and cosseted’ Bristol University students for their ‘absurd’ move to ban the British Army from attending their freshers’ fair – as the MP says they’ve forgotten who ‘safeguards their freedoms’

• Officers’ Training Corps was prevented from attending freshers’ fair at Bristol
• Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said decision was ‘absurd’ and a political move

Left-wing students this week banned the Army from hosting a stall at a British university.

The Officers’ Training Corps (OTC), which enables students to experience military life alongside their studies, was prevented from attending the start-of-term freshers’ fair at the University of Bristol’s Students’ Union on Friday.

A spokesperson for the students said they had made the decision because the OTC offers experiences, such as ‘making friends, developing leadership skills and adventure activities’, which place it ‘in direct competition’ with other groups affiliated to the Union.

But critics accused the ban of being politically motivated, with Defence Sectary Grant Shapps calling it ‘absurd’.

Former Conservative leader and ex-Army officer Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It is a sad reflection of how these safe and cosseted young students forget so quickly who it is that safeguards their freedoms.

The Officers’ Training Corps (OTC), which enables students to experience military life alongside their studies, was prevented from attending the start-of-term freshers’ fair at the University of Bristol’s Students’ Union on Friday (file image)

‘It is our servicemen and women who – rejected by these students today – will save them tomorrow.’

He compared the situation with that in Rudyard Kipling’s famous ‘Tommy’ poem which tells the tale of a soldier beloved and revered by the public during wartime, but shunned when back home.

Former students at Bristol include James Blunt, the soldier-turned-singer, as well as presenter Susanna Reid and actor Simon Pegg.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said bans on officer training corps and defence companies attending university events like freshers’ fairs or recruitment fairs were ‘absurd and indefensible’.

Former Conservative leader and ex-Army officer Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the decision was ‘a sad reflection of how these safe and cosseted young students forget so quickly who it is that safeguards their freedom’

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