David Willett’s speech at the Cambridge Union tonight was met with protests inside and outside the chamber.

Members of Cambridge Defend Education gathered outside the Cambridge Union before the talk began, holding banners stating, ‘Educate, Organise, Agitate’, and chanting slogans.

Security was tight outside the Union, with exits fenced off and students searched and asked to give up their phones before entering. Inside the Union the chamber was only half full, with about 44 attendees despite over 200 tickets having been issued.

Chants of "You say cutback, we say fight back" could be clearly heard from inside the chamber.

Early on in the talk students Conrad Landin and Jessica O’Driscoll Breen held up a banner which read “Fuck You Willetts” despite the Union president’s warning that students engaging in protest in the chamber would potentially be subject to Union disciplinary procedure.

Willetts defended the government’s policy on education funding, saying that it "empowered" students, and kept funding levels high, maintaining the standards of University education.

A spokesperson for the Cambridge Union Society said: "We regret that two students felt it necessary to protest against Willetts in such a way but we’re happy that they chose to do it in a non-violent manner."

When asked whether the protesters would be subject to disciplinary procedures the Union president said that it was "likely", but she was unable to specify what action was likely to be taken.