A Trinity college student running for the position of University Times editor has pledged that if he wins he will give his student accommodation to an asylum seeker.
Peter Caddle, who is a fourth year Philosophy student, is known for being involved with the free speech student publication the Burkean, which last year exposed systematic targeting of conservative students in university and wider society.
"There is no institutional bias against young conservatives. There is an outright conspiracy against them."https://t.co/KxSfkQxBBy
— The Burkean (@TheBurkeanIE) March 6, 2020
“TCDSU has always been very vocal in their desire for the system of Direct Provision to be abolished. As such, I realized that it would therefore be best for the leadership of the organization to lead by example in matching this desire with action,” he said.
“If elected, I would simply not need the free accommodation that comes with the position, and I get the impression that a number of others running for various positions would not need theirs either. As such, those resources should really be used by the leadership to fulfill the stated commitments of the students union.”
When asked how the move has been received by his peers, Caddle said “It has been received with overwhelming positivity by ordinary students. However, those with closer ties to the union seem to be very hesitant about my decision, which I find rather disappointing.
“Many of these people have been extremely supportive of the SU dedicating student resources towards fighting direct provision. This being the case, I cannot understand why they would be so resistant to dedicating their own.”
So far Caddle’s campaign has been met with much hostility from some within the UT, which he described as “extremely disappointing.”
“Many within the UT have stated outright that they are committed to the truth, and I find that admirable. However, the claims they have made about me lack any real substantiation. Ultimately, a lot of what they have printed of me is unbecoming of their publication, and will only serve to harm their reputation in the long run. Suffice to say, if I am elected to the position, I will make sure future candidates are treated better and more fairly than I have been.”
Caddle went on to describe the culture on campus as “inquisition-like” when it comes to free speech, and said that most of the power on campus is held by a minority of people with “extremist ideologies”.
“It’s getting harder and harder to meaningfully discuss issues within Irish universities, and TCD is no different in this respect. However, I believe this is only the case because a small minority of people on campuses with extremist ideologies hold so much power. The vast majority of students are willing to respectfully engage with views they disagree with.
“From my own experience, while I’ve gotten a lot of hate, both publicly and privately, I’ve gotten far more private support from normal students. The truth is that nobody is really happy with the inquisition-like status quo. If we can show students that such a status quo can be effectively challenged, I believe that would go a long way to improving the freedom of speech situation on campuses across the country.”
Caddle’s campaign manager and fellow student, Con Óg Ó Laoghaire, said that if his candidate wins the position of UT editor, it would be like an “ominous cloud passing” for students with alternative views on-campus.
“During the investigations of the ‘Irish Antifa Project’ in 2020, Peter informed me that a handful of my peers in Trinity had handed on personal information, such as my address, to what they thought was a group that was going to physically intimidate me,” Ó Laoghaire said.
“Students should not have to live in fear of expressing themselves, the University Times bugging their flat, or a blind eye being turned to political intimidation.
“Before I took on the role of campaign manager I asked Peter if his intention was to facilitate the broadest possible range of opinions – with that affirmed to me, I am sure a Caddle editorship would be the catalyst to the college becoming the melting pot of ideas it should be.”