Students at Boris Johnson's Oxford college launch petition to ban him from grounds

Joe Gamp
·Contributor, Yahoo News UK
Updated
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits the NLV Pharos, a lighthouse tender moored on the river Thames to mark London International Shipping Week in London on September 12, 2019. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / various sources / AFP) (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)
A petition to disavow Mr Johnson has been started by students at his Oxford College (Getty Images)

Students at Oxford’s Balliol College have launched a petition to disavow former student Boris Johnson.

The petition to ban the Prime Minister from the premises argues prorogation of parliament is ‘effectively a political coup’ that has “seriously undermined democracy”.

The petition then calls on the college to publicly disavow Johnson, with measures including a ban on Johnson entering college grounds.

A cyclist is silhouetted in front of Balliol College, founded in 1263, it is one of the oldest constituent colleges of Oxford University in Oxford, England, Friday, Oct. 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Founded in 1263, Balliol College is one of the oldest constituent colleges of Oxford University (AP)

Students are also calling for a ban on displaying ‘depictions of or tributes to Boris’ and a suspension of his ‘alumni status and any benefits.

The full petition reads: “Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a former student of Balliol College, Oxford. With his parliamentary shutdown, effectively a political coup, Johnson has seriously undermined democracy in the United Kingdom.

“Despite the far-reaching and devastating implications of a no-deal Brexit for many of its students and members of staff, Balliol College has yet to condemn his actions.

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“With this petition, we hope to show the College that many of its members are appalled by these actions, and to call upon it to publicly disavow Boris Johnson insofar as:

“1) Boris Johnson should be prevented from attending any Balliol College events, and from entering College grounds;

“2) Depictions of or tributes to Boris Johnson, such as portraits, should not be commissioned or displayed on College premises;

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes part in an activity with school children as he visits the NLV Pharos, a lighthouse tender moored on the river Thames, to mark London International Shipping Week in London, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. The British government insisted Thursday that its forecast of food and medicine shortages, gridlock at ports and riots in the streets after a no-deal Brexit is an avoidable worst-case scenario, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied misleading Queen Elizabeth II about his reasons for suspending Parliament just weeks before the country is due to leave the European Union. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool photo via AP)
Mr Johnson denied misleading Queen Elizabeth II about his reasons for suspending Parliament just weeks before the country is due to leave the European Union (AP)

“3) His alumni status and any benefits that that may entail should be suspended with immediate effect.

“Balliol College’s student body has consistently demonstrated its commitment to democratic values.

“We call upon its members to sign this petition in order to to put pressure on College administration to take definitive action in this matter. Please sign this petition, and share it widely. Thank you.”

El primer ministro británico Boris Johnson visit una escuela en Londres, 10 de julio de 2019. (Toby Melville/Pool via AP)
The Prime Minister is under fire for suspending Parliament (AP)

According to Cherwell, Balliol student and co-author Andrew MacGowan said: “Nobody voted for the no-deal policy Boris is attempting to force through with his October 31st deadline, and he hasn’t offered any concrete evidence of progress in Brussels.

“The leak of Operation Yellowhammer details the economic devastation that would result from a no-deal Brexit.

“A bomb went off near the Irish border 3 weeks ago; we’ve had enough. The petition is a joint effort between Balliol JCR and MCR members to make it known that Boris does not speak for us, the Bullingdon club is evidently not a political education, and to paraphrase Churchill, that Britain will not “give in”.”