This week there has been media attention given to speakers invited to The Oxford University Union.  The invited guests were the Holocaust denier, who is also described as a discredited historian, David Irvine, plus someone representing the British National Party. These two guests have a lot in common judging from the views they represent.

Irvine is very good at putting himself in the hot seat, usually all by himself, so it is  curious that back up is needed from the BNP; or could it be mutual support. That way, the flack can be shared.

The usual reasons for inviting the two individuals to to Oxford University were trotted out in the media interviews. They went as follows; people should hear these views so they can make up their own [impressionable]intelligent minds, from first hand source; free speech; if it's out in the public domain then such views can be monitored, etc. etc.

Of course, by highlighting the meeting, the media have given lots of valuable free publicity to two veins of the extreme right wing. It has in all probability, ensured maximum attendance at the Oxford Union. It is difficult to know if there would have been anything but a large attendance. Taking an educated guess, it is possible that there were other media agendas at work with their national coverage.

It would not be beyond the realms of possibility for there to be an agenda, for example, to stir up emotions, to create a bit of mayhem. Groups and individuals opposed to the views of the right wing guests, could easily generate a fair bit of heat and change a meeting/debate, into a media worthy dangerous frenzy.