Michael Heseltine walked out of an Oxford University debate, calling it “disgraceful” after students “hijacked” the event with internal political disputes.

The Conservative Lord, who had planned to speak about the EU on Thursday, was left waiting as students instead focused on internal university issues. Lord Heseltine, who served in the Conservative governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major and became Deputy Prime Minister in 1995, is well-known for his outspoken criticism of Brexit and Boris Johnson since the 2016 referendum.

Despite his extensive experience and long political career, the 91-year-old peer was sidelined as the debate over identity politics and society rules stretched on for an hour. Frustrated by the delay, Lord Heseltine left without delivering his speech on Britain’s role in Europe.

“I told the president that I thought this was out of control and left,” he told The Times. “It’s disgraceful to invite someone and then hijack the proceedings.”

Lord Heseltine first joined Oxford University in 1951, studying philosophy, politics, and economics at Pembroke College. He was elected President of the Oxford Union in 1954, during the Michaelmas term. Photo by Policy Exchange, Wikimedia commons.