Britain's strictest headteacher accuses 'rude' Oxford Union of disinviting her from speaking at a debate on British identity

By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:52, 3 May 2026 | Updated: 10:54, 3 May 2026 Britain's so-called 'strictest headteacher' has accused the Oxford Union of disinviting her from speaking at a debate on British identity.  Katharine Birbalsingh said she was due to attend the event on Thursday to discuss the motion: 'This house believes that being British is a birthright, not a choice.' But Ms Birbalsingh, the headteacher of Michaela Community School in north-west London, said the Oxford Union ignored her personal assistant's requests for further information about the debate, meaning there was no way for her to attend.  She then accused the student body of 'rudeness' in a letter addressed to the debating society's president, in words that were shared on social media.  'Stonewalling is never a good look. At the very least, you might have written and explained that you had changed your mind,' she said.  The headteacher, who is known for her strict approach in school, claimed she was set to speak opposite Carl Benjamin, a Right-wing YouTuber and political commentator.  His invitation was allegedly rescinded on the morning of the debate, following accusations from students that he made threats of sexual violence against Labour minister Jess Phillips.  In a letter to the Oxford Union, Ms Birbalsingh said: 'Having now observed online that you chose to rescind your invitation to Carl Benjamin, who would have been on the opposing side to me in the debate, I see that at the very least, your rudeness is widespread. Katharine Birbalsingh, the headteacher of Michaela Community School in north-west London, accused the Oxford Union of disinviting her from speaking at a debate on British identity 'That's the thing about life, you see: you will come across people whose views you do not like. Carl and I may disagree, but I believe in treating him with decency and respect nonetheless. This is the nature of the adult world.' It is not the first instance of cancel culture on campuses or the de-platforming of public speakers. Firefighter and trade unionist Paul Embery claimed he was disinvited to a debate on Labour and the working class in 2025 due to his gender-critical views.  Ms Birbalsingh told GB News: 'When you just think of what the Oxford Union used to be, it was so revered and so admired... it was just such a different place, really. And now it's just, it's so embarrassing. 'They're just political activists who have hijacked the union in order to fulfil their own desires. And they're certainly not interested in critical thinking or in hearing anything that would slightly offend them.' Last year, Ms Birbalsingh condemned 'gentle' middle-class parenting tactics for eroding traditional child-rearing methods and destroying working-class families. She argued parents should embrace being authority figures and stop giving their children choices in food and clothes. The headteacher claimed she was set to speak opposite Carl Benjamin (pictured), a Right-wing YouTuber and political commentator. He was allegedly also disinvited  The headteacher said it was impossible to find traditional parenting books that gave parents' permission to tell their children what to do and teach them right from wrong. Instead, modern methods focused on 'understanding the child' and 'communicating with their needs', rather than how to 'teach them right from wrong'. During her criticism, the prominent headteacher also criticised those who did not teach their children to read and count. The University of Oxford declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail. The Oxford Union has been contacted for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.