CONTROVERSIAL GB News presenter and conspiracy theorist Neil Oliver has resigned from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), according to our sister paper the Herald.
It comes after “discussions” with the prestigious society ended with it being made clear that Oliver was “at odds with scientific and broader academic learning”, a spokesperson said.
Oliver then offered to resign as a fellow “with immediate effect”.
The TV host was elected a fellow of the RSE, which was founded in 1783, in 2020.
He became a presenter on the GB News channel in 2021 and frequently spoke against lockdowns and the need for people to have a Covid vaccine.
A spokesperson for the RSE told the Herald: “Neil Oliver was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2020. During his time as a fellow did not take part in any RSE business.
“In discussion with Mr Oliver, he understood that his current views on various matters, widely aired on television, put him at odds with scientific and broader academic learning within the Society.
"Following discussions, he offered to resign his association with the RSE with immediate effect.”
Oliver also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Abertay, which he was awarded in 2011, and an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow, which he was awarded in 2015.
He had become well-known for presenting historical programmes on the BBC, including Coast and A History of Scotland.
Until July 2020, Oliver had been the honorary president of the National Trust for Scotland.
But since becoming a host on GB News, Oliver has leaned into conspiracy theories and frequently monologues on topics such as a “one-world government”.
In August, he launched a line of merchandise referring to himself as "conspiracy Gandalf".
In May, Oliver courted further controversy after he shared an image on Twitter/X depicting Bill Gates amid Nazi imagery.
Alongside the image, Oliver wrote: “Bill Gates: the textbook example of the danger posed by rich and powerful people utterly devoid of empathy or care for individual human life.”
