UK school nixed Labour MP’s civics talk, after outcry over his support for Israel

A British member of parliament was disinvited last fall, at least temporarily, from a local school where he’d planned to give a talk about democracy, after teachers planned a protest over his support for Israel.

The school, Bristol Brunel Academy, said that the talk by Labour MP Damien Egan, who represents the school’s Bristol North East constituency, was merely postponed, and that a future date has already been set.

Egan, who is Jewish and is married to an Israeli man who served in the Israel Defense Forces, is vice chair of Labour Friends of Israel (LFI). LFI advocates a two-state solution to Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians and advocated for the return of those abducted from Israel and held hostage by Palestinian terror groups in Gaza following the Hamas-led assault of October 7, 2023.

The 2025 incident came to light this week, after UK Communities Secretary Steve Reed told the Jewish News that a “Jewish colleague” of his had been barred from a local school “in case his presence inflames the teachers.”

Reed called the incident “an absolute outrage,” and said those responsible “will be called in, and they will be held to account for doing that, because you cannot have people with those kinds of attitudes teaching our children.”

A spokesman for the school, in a statement carried by several British outlets, confirmed: “Damien Egan MP – as a high-achieving alumnus of the [Cabot Learning Federation, of which this academy is a part], and in common with other local MPs from across the political spectrum – was invited in September to visit Bristol Brunel Academy.”

Last year was a big one for me. I became Lewisham’s Mayor & also converted to Judaism.
As a Labour representative I’ve been anxious talking about the latter, but it’s something I’m proud of & has a positive impact on my life.

Thanks to friends, family, @BromleyShul for support. https://t.co/iKwoicPxFH

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— Damien Egan (@damienegan) June 3, 2019

“Mr Egan was due to discuss democracy and the role of an MP, while helping to raise aspirations among students who may have an interest in pursuing similar career paths,” the spokesman said.

“On the evening before Mr Egan’s scheduled visit, we were made aware of plans for a public protest outside the school. As this protest was scheduled to coincide with the end in the school day, we opted to postpone Mr Egan’s visit to ensure everyone would continue to feel safe when entering and exiting school and to prevent any disruption to our students’ learning,” the statement continued.

“We have remained in contact with Mr Egan, and an alternative date for his visit was arranged some time ago. We have also been in contact with the police and followed their advice,” it concluded.

It was not immediately clear what that alternative date was, and whether it would again be delayed if anti-Israel activists scheduled another protest for the same time of day.

According to reports, the public protest was organized by a local branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, together with members of the National Education Union, the UK’s largest teachers’ union.

In a September social media post, PSC described the change of plan as sending “a clear message: Politicians who openly support Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza are not welcome in our schools.”

The activist group noted Egan’s role in Labour Friends of Israel, and said that he “has visited Israel since the current onslaught on Gaza began, demonstrating his support.” It did not explicitly mention his or his husband’s Jewish background.

“We celebrate this cancellation as a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of trade unionists, parents, and campaigners standing together,” the group said.

The Daily Mail tabloid cited a National Education Union representative as saying teachers planned to wear keffiyehs during Egan’s visit as an act of protest, and were preparing “work that members could do with students in preparation” for his visit.

No official NEU statement was carried by other outlets. Egan has not commented on the matter.