Nottingham City Council has issued an apology to author and feminist campaigner Julie Bindel after it cancelled a talk at a Nottingham library. Miss Bindel was due to speak at Aspley Library on Saturday, June 25, following a booking from Nottingham Women for Change, but the talk was cancelled by the council after the "speaker's views on transgender rights was brought to the Library Service's attention".
Miss Bindel described the council's decision to cancel the event due to her own beliefs as "despicable". However, on Friday, October 7, the city council admitted it had been "unlawful" in its decision to cancel the talk.
The council has also offered to pay Miss Bindel, Nottingham Women for Change and ticket holders in respect to any losses occurred as a result of the cancellation.
READ MORE: Coroner says further police action needed after boy drowned in bath
A statement from Nottingham City Council said: "On 24 June 2022, Nottingham City Council cancelled a booking by Nottingham Women for Change to use a space at Aspley Library for a talk by the author and journalist Julie Bindel. Nottingham City Council later communicated its decision in a statement published on 25 June 2022.
"Nottingham City Council now accepts that its decision to cancel the event was procedurally unlawful. Nottingham City Council apologises to Ms Bindel and Nottingham Women for Change for cancelling the event in this way and for the inconvenience caused as a result of this decision.
"It has agreed to make payment to Julie Bindel, Nottingham Women for Change and to ticket holders in respect of their reasonable losses incurred as a result of the cancellation of the event. Nottingham City Council has agreed that, if Nottingham Women for Change seeks to make a booking at any Nottingham City Council venue by way of a fully completed booking form, the Council will make a fresh decision in response to such request upon a lawful basis."
Earlier on Friday, Miss Bindel shared a post on social media about the city council' statement, in which she said "Some good news - we won!".
READ NEXT:
Concern over lunch options at academy that are 'like feeding animals scrap'
British Superbike star Chrissy Rouse dies after horror crash in East Midlands
Burst pipe causes water to flood on to Nottinghamshire village road
Arrest as £200 of flowers stolen from Sainsbury's in Nottingham
Traces of rat poison found in cannabis 'sweets' like 'Zoot Pastilles' and 'Dorweedos'
