Luke Tryl is a student at Magdalen College, Oxford and served as President of the Oxford Union during Michaelmas term of 2007. He caused controversy when the Union invited the British National Party leader Nick Griffin and the holocaust denier David Irving to speak in a debate on freedom of speech on 26 November 2007, an event which led to protests, with antifascist protesters forcing their way on to the Union premises.
Biography Tryl grew up in Halifax, West Yorkshire where he went to the Crossley Heath Grammar School. At the age of 15 he represented Calderdale in the UK Youth Parliament.
At the age of 18 he achieved one of the ten highest marks in the country on his Politics A-Level paper, whilst also completing four other full A-Levels.
Career Tryl's political career began when he became Chairman for the Halifax branch of Conservative Future, a youth organisation linked to the Conservative Party. He was offered a place at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he served as Junior Common Room (JCR) OUSU Rep. He also became Secretary, Librarian and eventually President at the Oxford Union debating society in 2007.
Controversy Tryl caused controversy when, against the wishes of some Union members, he invited Holocaust denier David Irving and leader of the British National Party (BNP) Nick Griffin to a Union forum on the topic of free speech. Tryl conducted a poll of the Union's membership, which found 1000 in favour of the invitations compared with 600 against. The debate took place on Monday 26th November; due to demonstrations partly organised by Unite Against Fascism and including between 800 and 1000 protesters, the debate began late and was divided between two rooms, with Griffin addressing one group and Irving addressing another.
Tryl was defended by Liberal Democrat MP Dr Evan Harris, who spoke alongside Irving at the debate. He was criticised by a number of high profile politicians including Edwina Currie, the Defence Secretary, Des Browne and ex-Union Presidents Boris Johnson and Tony Benn.