Amber Rudd 'no platformed' by Oxford University society

Amber Rudd was home secretary from July 2016 until she resigned in April 2018

Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd says she had an invitation to speak at an Oxford University society pulled half an hour before she was due to appear.

Ms Rudd, who stepped down as an MP in December, was due to speak to the UN Women Oxford UK society on Thursday.

Following a vote of its committee, understood to relate to her role in the Windrush scandal, the invitation was pulled.

Ms Rudd said some students' treatment of her was "badly judged and rude".

She had been due to speak about UN Women's Draw A Line campaign and her experiences of being an MP and minister for women and equalities.

Ms Rudd urged students to "stop hiding and start engaging".

She resigned as home secretary in April 2018 after people living legally in the UK were detained and deported and she inadvertently misled a Commons committee about the number of people who had been involved.

The UN Women Oxford UK society wrote on Facebook on Thursday: "Following a majority vote in committee, tonight's event with speaker Amber Rudd has been cancelled.

It added it was "deeply sorry for all and any hurt caused" over the event.

Earlier in the week, it said the conversation with Ms Rudd would have been "an honest and frank conversation" about how her policies had impacted women of all races.

It had urged students to attend the event "to help campaign for a truly frank feminism which is not afraid of taking opportunities to discuss issues with high profile figures".

Later charity UN Women UK distanced itself from the row, and announced the student group involved had changed its name to United Women Oxford Student Society.

The charity added it would no longer be associated with the student society.

It is the second prominent "no-platforming" in the city in a week, after Oxford University history professor Selina Todd had an invitation to speak at the Oxford International Women's Festival withdrawn on Saturday.