In an exclusive to Hillhead Review, Glasgow University Labour Club have announced they will withdraw from the University of Glasgow Divestment Coalition over their decision to support disruption to Gordon Brown’s planned 2nd September event in the James McCune Smith Building.
In a joint post on Instagram, the Divestment Coalition, Justice for Palestine Society (JPS), Friends of Al-Aqsa Scotland, and the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee dubbed the protest an “emergency rally” against the “welcoming [of] the shameful Gordon Brown on our campus.”
Citing Brown’s “enthusiastic” support for the Iraq War, his promise that “Britain will always stand firmly by Israel’s side,” and his “refusal to call for an arms embargo” against Israel, the joint statement called for activists to mobilise outside the venue to “give [Brown] the welcome that a fascist zionist deserves.”
The post, written by JPS, bears similarity to their call for disruption to an event hosted at the University by the John Smith Centre featuring Michael Gove in January 2025, with much of the text having been repeated verbatim.
Formed last year, Glasgow University Divestment Coalition brought together societies campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in the university’s referendum to divest from companies involved in the defence industry. A founding member of the coalition, Glasgow University Labour Club told Hillhead Review they “find it quite frankly abhorrent that the Divestment Coalition have published a scathing statement condemning the visit, without making any attempt to have a robust democratic process when consulting the membership, or considering their viewpoints”
“Therefore, we are withdrawing from the Divestment Coalition.”
Brown is due to speak to promote the release of his new book, The Future Starts With Us, “drawing on new research and polling” to “reveal how global instability and civic decline are connected.”
Brown was UK Prime Minister from 2007 until 2010, and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 until 2007 under Prime Minister Tony Blair. As Blair’s Chancellor, Brown initially supported the government’s decision to participate in a joint operation with the United States to invade Iraq, but now says that he “regrets” the action.
As the first British Prime Minister to address the Israeli Knesset, Brown affirmed that Britain should remain a firm ally of Israel, while “[urging] all parties in the Israeli Parliament to support a permanent peace with the Palestinians.” In his memoir My Life, Our Times, Brown refers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “an old friend and colleague.”
Hillhead Review reached out to JPS for comment and received no reply, however Glasgow University Divestment Coalition issued the following statement:
“Gordon Brown is a neoliberal who betrayed the grassroots leftism he came from. He bent over for big business as prime minister, supported the war in Iraq and popularised the National Front slogan ‘British jobs for British workers’. Despite the violent and brutal genocide in Gaza and apartheid of Palestinians he has supported Israel’s ‘right to self-defense’. He should be ashamed, and no supporter of Zionism, apartheid and genocide should be welcome in an academic institution – especially one with students whose health and safety his warmongering is risking.
“On [Brown’s] right to free speech – we are well within our own rights to express our opposition to the platforming of genocide supporters. On student safety – encouraging the genocide of a people is a risk to their lives.”
In its full statement to this paper, Glasgow University Labour Club said “[we] are proud to welcome such a committed and successful Chancellor and Prime Minister to our University.”
“By presiding over the longest period of economic growth in British history, and weathering the storm throughout the financial crash, Gordon Brown has a tried and true record of delivery for the British people, something that I believe is imperative to the future of good governance in the UK.
“It is vital that the public, and our student body get the opportunity to hear one of the most decorated politicians in the UK speak about his record of delivery throughout his tenure as a parliamentarian, and his work beyond this.
“His work is more important now than ever, in my view, both to furthering the cause of the Scottish Labour movement and to protecting British democracy as a whole.
“GULC also remain steadfastly committed to protecting democracy and free speech, so find it quite frankly abhorrent that the Divestment Coalition have published a scathing statement condemning the visit, without making any attempt to have a robust democratic process when consulting the membership, or considering their viewpoints. Therefore, we are withdrawing from the Divestment Coalition.
“GULC commend and thank Gordon Brown for his commitment to the Labour cause, and wish him well for the continuation of his book tour.”