The Cambridge Union
Lent 2025 Termcard
“Even against the backdrop of an ancient and respected University, the Cambridge Union stands out as a distinguished forum for the free and rigorous exchange of ideas. For over two hundred years, undergraduates have come through its doors to consider questions old and new, to test their opinions and hone their skills of debate, and to speak as equals with their opponents - be they students or statesmen. The lessons it provides - in self-confidence; in clear-thinking; in challenging others’ beliefs while always respecting them - are valuable ones indeed.
— H.M. King Charles III
The Cambridge Union 9A Bridge Street
Cambridge CB2 1UB
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5.30PM T: (+44) (0) 1223 566 421 www.cus.org / info@cus.org
Welcome
from The Cambridge Union Society President
Freedom is a powerful, vapour-like and fragile construction. To study history is to know how illusionary and fragile the ideological constructions that underpin our societies are, how contingent on whims of men those rights are, and how rapidly progress can melt into reverse. I’m sure many of us have been haunted by those same feelings as we approach our uncertain new age, dominated by the sound and fury and rage that stream into phones and public discourse every day.
One of the Union’s enduring strengths is its resilience— through the white heat of industrialisation and the brutal expansion of empire, through the tyrannies and devastation of the World Wars (when our building itself was bombed), and through the high-stakes brinkmanship of the Cold War, we have stood firm as a symbol of freedom. Though the portraits of monarchs loom over the Union Chamber, we were founded in 1815 as a radical institution, dedicated to the principle of free speech in an era of mounting censorship, a time when revolutionary ideas were met with suppression. At its best, the Union has remained true to this legacy, perhaps most memorably in 1965, when it broadcast to the nation the full, unvarnished reality of the Civil Rights struggle—delivered through James Baldwin’s searing indictment of Southern hypocrisy.
My aim has always been to make the Union a place to exercise and celebrate freedom, no matter your background and circumstances, and to make it live up to its ideological mission of providing an opportunity for freedom of expression for all. I remember vividly the excitement of being picked to debate for the first time, a lowly fresher squaring up against energy bosses. I remember just as vividly my excitement at joining a subcommittee over two years ago now (I’m old now, I know), and shaping my first debate, hearing the leader of the Māori Party lay bare the historic oppression of his peoples by the British government. My aim is to extend the many opportunities to speak, debate, challenge and develop confidence in public discourse to more people. It is my hope that all of you will sign up to debate, speak, ask a question, no matter how tough, of the speakers who come, or even just raise a Point of Information, in that spirit.
Our lineup of debates aims to provide a variety of different perspectives and events to challenge your assumptions and broaden your horizons, a skill of so much rarity and importance in our polarised age. The aim, as James Baldwin once stated in the chamber, is to challenge your “system of reality”, to push you beyond the familiar and into new ways of thinking.to stimulate and encourage you to view things from new angles. The topics of debate span a broad range of subjects designed to stimulate this discussion, from fascism in America, to the ethics of veganism, to defence spending and diplomacy, to identity politics, all striking at the heart of contentious issues in the modern world. The aim is to foster and cultivate productive debate, rather than to promote shouting for the
sake of recording the noise; and I would encourage all of you to approach these debates with openness and confidence.
For our speaker events, we have a broad range of important figures of all different careers and persuasions. You will have the chance to hear from Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission and major left-wing influencer Cenk Uygur. We also have a much broader range of speaker events from different fields. This includes our groundbreaking Formula One panel, an evening with Abby Lee Miller, an International Women’s Day Panel with Baroness Chakrabarti, an interview with Baroness Hale, and a discussion with Prue Leith. I am particularly honoured to announced a special event for International Holocaust Memorial Day: a talk and lecture by Martin Stern MBE, a Holocaust survivor, at a time when living memory of the Shoah is fading and remembrance is more crucial than ever.
In our Equalities line up, we not only have an Equalities Debates on policing discrimination against BME communities, but also an impressive roster of events and speakers, from a panel on Violence against Women and Girls to talks by Dame Melinda Simmons, former ambassador to Ukraine, to Hong Kong freedom activist Nathan Law, to our inaugural Equalities Play, the Laramie Project, a play focusing on the murder of a queer teenager in smalltown Wyoming.
Our roster of social events gives a brilliant reprieve from the hustle and bustle of a Cambridge life; from the return of the legendary Town vs Gown Boxing Match to our comedy special with Fats Timbo to a new St Patrick’s Day Social, there is something for everyone! We also have our very first social events debate, where we discuss “THW Go on Reality Television”, examining the ethics of the industry in a more light-hearted and relaxed fashion than our usual debates.
Whilst fuller thanks are reserved for the back of the term card, none of these events would be possible without the tireless dedication of an army of student volunteers, from committee to subcommittee volunteers. Your tireless efforts and countless hours of hard work do not go unnoticed, and I am profoundly grateful for all that you do. I could not be more grateful to the tireless hours you have put in.
When I was elected, I made a central pledge that the Union should become an institution that is more accessible and open, as well as dedicated to its central goal of promoting freedom of speech regardless of friendships, backgrounds or connections. I hope this term card lives up to that promise, and that you never lose sight of what it truly stands for: a space where all can engage, challenge, and cherish the rare and fragile freedoms that lie at the heart of our democratic experiment. May you always find here not only the platform but the courage to be free.
Sammy McDonald | St John’s President, Lent 2025
pg. 1
Welcome
pg. 3
History
pg. 4
Getting Involved
pg. 6
Accessibility
pg. 8
Facilities
pg. 10
Competitive Debating
pg. 12
Treasurer’s Treats
pg. 13
Reciprocal Membership
pg. 18 Debates
pg. 42 Speakers
pg. 60 Equalities
pg. 76
Social Events
pg. 84 Committees
pg. 88
President’s Thanks
pg. 90 Sponsors
History
The Union has a history span back over 200 Years- when we were founded, Napoleon was still peering at the water enviously from Elba, Lord Liverpool was Prime Minister and the United States was barely 40 years old. In its earliest years, the Union was buttressed by censorship and constant attempts by the University authorities to shut it down, fearing it was a breeding ground for unfettered and overly idealistic young radicals peddling seditionist liberal ideas, like suffrage or democracy. Fortunately, the Union survived and today we are left with an amazing set of historical records to view debates overtime and the changing nature of our membership and Public Debates.
As you might imagine, Northern Ireland was a subject of frequent and fierce debate during the course of the Troubles. In January 1980, at the height of the conflict, hardline Unionist William Craig (who spoke for 41 minutes) clashed with future Nobel Prize-winning Irish nationalist John Hume on the Motion “This House Believes the Declared Aim of British Policy in Ireland Should Be Irish Unity” —a motion decisively rejected, 152276. When later Conservative grandee Bernard Jenkin was in the chair in 1982, the House rejected “This House Calls for the Immediate Withdrawal of British Troops from Northern Ireland”, by an overwhelming 47-348. Later, after the Good Friday Agreement, the House rejected the Motion that Britain should “relinquish all control” over Northern Ireland (26-87), and, despite impassioned speeches in favour by Ian Paisley Jr and Michael Gove, also proposed the claim that the “Northern Ireland Peace Process is a Surrender to Terror” (58-113), Fast forward to 2021, and the House narrowly voted against Northern Ireland staying part of the UK, (92-119).
The Union has also been debating the future of Palestine through its history. In 1984, in a tightly fought debate with Enoch Powell opposing, the House endorsed the motion “This House Calls for an Independent Palestinian State on the West Bank and Gaza Strip”, by a narrow margin of 243 to 220. However, by 1987, the House declared it would “not negotiate with the PLO” (134-78). In a very recent debate in 2023, the House did vote to endorse the motion “THW Pressurise Israel to trade land for peace” by 71 to 20. The House also voted, in other international issues, that it would release Pinochet from Custody in 1998, and voted to support the boycott of South Africa 540 to 134 in 1984.
This year has seen enormous change to Iran, from severe reverses for its proxies to instability continuing in the wake of a movement sparked by the murder of Mahsa
Amini, and this term we are hosting the Crown Prince. We found that the Union debated a motion on “welcoming the Iranian revolution” which passed 93 to 75- Andrew Bailey, the current Governor of the Bank of England, spoke in abstention. Before the Iraq War, in a 2003 debate proposed by George Galloway, the House declared Britain “America’s lapdog” (362–152).
Our first debate of the term concerns Private Schools —a topic that has long divided the House. In 1991, the Union narrowly rejected private school quotas (82-86) and, in 1992, rejected the motion that private schools were “anachronistic and socially divisive” (131-221). However, when the motion to abolish private schools last came to the floor in 2011, it passed by a razor-thin margin—142 to 141. we await to see the results this time!
In addition to our declaration that feminism was incompatible with religion, the house has been debating motions about feminism through enormous societal changes and successive waves of the movement. The motion that “Feminism Has Poisoned Society” was rejected in 1993 by 68 to 362, and that “Pornography Degrades Civilised Society” failed by 359 to 251 in the same year. By 1996 this had reversed and the House endorsed the idea that “Pornography Is Harmless” by 114 to 51. In 2008, the House narrowly called for “a sexual revolution” (148–143). In fun (end of history?) times in 1991, the House voted by an extraordinary margin of 307 to 110 in favour of “actively promoting homosexuality” —a striking testament to how far social attitudes had progressed within the chamber.
Our debate on policing and race relations has also been the subject of events overtime. In a landmark debate in 2000 “This House Believes Racism Is Endemic in British Society,” the motion passed by 374 to 184, with Imran Khan—later jailed as Prime Minister of Pakistan—speaking in favour. In 1988, the House considered “This House Believes That Policing Does Not Deserve the Respect of the British Public,” ultimately rejecting it by 48 to 72.
On a lighter note, Union history reveals a particular enthusiasm for cheeky motions. The House has endorsed the proposition that it “prefers a woman on top” no fewer than three times and has also affirmed that “gentlemen prefer blondes” and that “blondes have more fun”. Tragically, I have yet to uncover any motions concerning gingers—an oversight I hope will soon be rectified.
Sammy McDonald | St John’s President, Lent 2025
Get Involved
The Cambridge Union is all about you — our membership. Whether you’re sitting in the crowd or taking the floor for a speech, none of our activities would be possible without you. But most importantly, our events — large and small alike — are student-planned, student-run, and student-centred. And yes, that means you get a say too! The Union can feel like a daunting environment, and that’s why we’re here to demystify the mysterious. You can check out our Issuu page for the How to Get Involved Guide, and read below for a brief overview!
Debates
Ever watched a Union debate and imagined yourself speaking up at the dispatch box? Here’s your chance! Applications to speak in our emergency and main debates open in the week leading up to each debate, and can be found in our Facebook members’ group, on our Instagram stories, and in the weekly members’ email. We encourage any Union member to apply!
19:30
- Emergency Debates
Consisting entirely of student speakers, each emergency debate addresses a topical issue of the week or an issue relevant to the main debate motion. They serve as a warm-up for the main debate, allow students to get more comfortable at the despatch box — but best of all, our emergency debate speakers are rewarded with a free drink and a charitable point!
20:00
- Main Debates
In the main debate, members can engage with speeches in real time by submitting a Point of Information (POI). You can correct a point, ask for clarity, challenge a speaker or propose a question by standing and saying ‘Point of Information’ or ‘On that point’ after the first and before the last minute of a given speech. The speaker may choose to reject your POI - but if they do accept, deliver your (brief!) point. After that, it’s the speaker’s responsibility to respond.
If you want to make a longer argument of your own, raise your hand during either of the rounds of floor speeches during each debate. You can speak in proposition, opposition, or abstention to respond to the debate as it happens! This term, we’ll also be offering some exciting prizes for the best floor speeches in each debate - so make sure to turn out!
Get Involved
Speakers and Panels
At each of our individual speaker or panel events, we allow our members to put questions to our guests. We encourage everyone to take advantage of these opportunities to interact with our guests.
Throughout Lent, our members can also ballot to meet individual speakers at the preevent drinks receptions! Keep your eyes on our social media pages, Facebook members’ page, and weekly members’ email for details on speaker ballots throughout Lent.
Join a Committee
You can also get involved by joining our committees and we have lots of them! We recruit for Full Committee, Speakers’ Subcommittee, Debates Subcommittee, Equalities Subcommittee, Social Events Subcommittee, and Ball Committees.
Look out on our social media and emails to be notified when applications open each term - applications for subcommittees this term (for positions served in Easter) will close on 24th January. Do apply - you won’t regret it!
Run for Election
Elections for Standing Committee happen at the end of each term. In order to run to be an Officer, you must have served a term on Full Committee and collected 4 charitable points. To run for President, you must have previously served a term as an Officer. If you have any questions about the election process, please email vicepresident@cus.org!
Throughout Lent, we’ll be running events to help you get involved with the Union on a deeper level — including a tour of the Union on the 22nd January. We’ll be running inperson workshops on getting involved throughout term, which you can find out about on pg 77 of the termcard. And for those of you who haven’t yet bought membership, our open period is active until the 30th January! Come get a taster of our events, and buy yourself a membership at discounted rates. We can’t wait to welcome you to the building!
Christopher Lorde | Christ’s Equalities Officer, Lent 2025
Accessibility
We are firmly committed to ensuring that all members feel the Union is a space that is accessible to them. This short Q&A guide aims to answer some frequently asked accessibility questions. If members have any other accessibility concerns or questions they are warmly encouraged to email access@cus.org.
If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns regarding access at the Union, please feel free to contact your access officers, Aishwarya and Prisha. We would love to hear how members feel the Union can become an even better space, and one that they are able to express agency within.
Q. Which rooms are wheelchair accessible?
A. All the rooms are wheelchair accessible, except the chamber balcony. The building itself is wheelchair accessible through the Orator and reception entrances.
Q. Which rooms are hearing-loop enabled?
A. The Chamber is currently the only room that is hearing loop enabled.
Q. Can I bring non-member dependents, carers or guide dogs to events?
A. In most cases this should be no issue at all. Please email vicepresident@cus.org beforehand to confirm arrangements.
Q. Where should wheelchair users sit in the Chamber?
A. Space can be made either side of the back benches.
Q. Which doors are wide enough to allow wheelchairs through?
A. The reception, chamber entrance, library and Fairfax Rhodes Room doors are all wide enough.
Q. Which rooms have padded seating available?
A. All the seating in the building is padded.
Q. How should wheelchairs exit in the case of a fire?
A. Depending on the source of the fire, members can exit through the Chamber doors and by leaving out of Reception. They can also be lifted over the stairs of the chamber fire doors (it is only a few steps either side). Event Managers are on duty to help with this.
Q. How should attendees with impaired mobility, or any other difficulty with queuing access busy or oversubscribed events?
A. Please email vicepresident@cus.org before the event to confirm your accessibility need. It is possible to sit and ‘queue’ on the sofas in the reception area upon arrangement. If you arrive before the amount of people queueing is more than a full chamber, you will get one of our accessibility-reserved seats (the back benches). If you come after the amount of people queueing is greater than the amount of seats in the chamber, we are unable to guarantee you a seat as that would put you ahead of those who have queued for prolonged amounts of time and are turned away. We hope members understand this logic.
Financial Access
We offer a range of discounted memberships, depending on financial need. Our lowest band of access memberships begin at £90 for those on the full Cambridge bursary.
Whether you are new to the society or a long-standing member, we are here to support you in any way we can to make sure you get most of your membership. If you have any concerns or questions, then please contact our access team: access@cus.org.
We also offer different scholarships entitling you to a lifetime membership of the Cambridge Union, free of charge, thanks to the generosity of our donors. Applicants will be chosen primarily according to financial need, along with their ability to demonstrate an interest in the Union. Keep your eyes on our social media channels for when we release the application form.
Welfare
Your Welfare Officers
Ali Eren Talan
Haris Khan
Roisin Carey
We will be running regular welfare hours, which will be communicated via our social channels and emails.
The Orator provides anti-drink spiking covers upon request, and if you ever feel like you’re in an unsafe situation, you can ask for Angela at our bar. Our team of bar staff will know you need help and assist you as necessary. You can also submit compaints, requests, feedback or concerns via the Members’ form, which will be sent out via email, and you can reach us at welfare@cus.org.
Facilities Debating Chamber
Members’ Room
The FairfaxRhodes Reading Room
Dining Room
The Orator
The Keynes Library
Competitive Debating Take part in
The Cambridge Union offers one of the most successful and inclusive debating programs in the world. We have maintained a strong record of success, with a history of teams advancing deep into the World and European University Debating Championships. No prior experience is required to join—everyone can start improving their public speaking skills. All Union members are welcome to participate in our events. Why not give it a try?
Why should I get involved?
Debating with the Cambridge Union equips you with a valuable set of skills that extend beyond traditional British Parliamentary debate. These skills are highly transferable and beneficial in various contexts, both academic and professional. We offer a wide range of programs to suit all interests, ensuring there is something for everyone.
Debating Sessions & Workshops
We hold weekly sparring sessions every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00–9:00 pm. These sessions are designed for both beginners and experienced debaters to improve their skills under the guidance of leading debaters from the Cambridge Union. Whether you aspire to compete for Cambridge or simply wish to develop your public speaking abilities, our training will help you become a formidable debater.
In addition, on alternate Thursdays we offer training sessions with our coach, Ayal Mor, a recent grand finalist at the European University Debating Championships. Ayal will be conducting specialised workshops and organising online sparring sessions with worldrenowned debaters, providing you with top-tier training opportunities.
Competitions
Universities across the United Kingdom host debating competitions nearly every week, and we actively encourage all our members to participate. We don’t just send our top speakers— members of all abilities are selected, ensuring everyone has a chance to compete. These competitions offer a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow students and explore different parts of the country. The Union covers all registration fees; you only need to come ready to debate!
We also offer international competition opportunities beyond the UK. This year, we sent 9 Debaters to Panama to compete at the World University Debate Championships. Additionally, we sent debaters to Amsterdam for the Leiden Open last year, where one of our teams emerged as Champion.
This year, we plan to send teams to compete at the upcoming European Debating Championships, which will be held in Copenhagen.
Access & Community Involvement
The Cambridge Union Society also hosts Cambridge Schools and the International Competition for Young Debaters (ICYD), two of the largest schools debating competitions globally. As a Cambridge debater, you can participate as a judge or convenor for Cambridge Schools, offering students from diverse backgrounds the chance to engage with university-level debating and learn more about Cambridge. Our Finals Days bring schools from all over the world together to crown the Cambridge Schools and ICYD champions. Serving as a judge and mentor is one of the most rewarding ways to give back to the community.
How do I get involved?
Volunteering to judge Cambridge Schools and ICYD is a great way to get involved with the charitable causes of the union! By helping out and offering feedback to the school students, you’ll help them develop their skills and confidence. In addition, it is a great opportunity to earn charitable points that allow you to run in union elections.
The form to sign up for this will be sent out in the weekly union emails; please fill that out if you want to get involved.
If you’re unable to attend in person, please don’t hesitate to email us at debating@cus.org. We also encourage you to join our Cambridge Debating Facebook group for regular updates.
Joshua Low | Magdalene
James Cater | Gonville & Caius Competitive Debating Officers,
2024-2025
Treasurer’s Treats
Our Treasurer’s Treats make sure you get the most out of your membership. We hope to continually grow this list over term - so keep your eye out for our weekly members emails and posts on our social media channels! If you have any questions, please get in touch at treasurer@cus.org.
Michaelhouse Cafe
10% off your order when you present your Union membership card.
Ryder & Amies
A special discount code valid from 20th - 24th January 2025, to be revealed via the Union’s weekly email.
Gardenia’s
10% off when you present your Union card.
University Arms Hotel
20% off all bookings. More info available at the cus.org Members’ Area.
SIX Brassiere
15% off during term-time, up to 10 people. (Does not apply to set menus)
The Lockhouse
20% discount Monday to Thursday, outside of school holidays and half-terms.
Jack’s Gelato
20% off, exclusively at the All Saints’ Passage location.
Reciprocal Membership
Your membership of the Cambridge Union entitles you to reciprocal memberships with some of the world’s finest members’ clubs and free speech societies. Below is a list of reciprocal membership clubs that you can access courtesy of your membership. For information on how to use your reciprocal membership, including on how to obtain the mandatory Letter of Introduction, contact vicepresident@cus.org.
UK (Outside London) & Ireland
The Athenaeum, Liverpool
The Bury St Edmunds & Farmers Club, Bury St
Edmunds
The Cardiff and County Club, Cardiff
The Clifton Club, Bristol
The Dublin Philosophical Society, Dublin*
The Durham Union Society, Durham*
The Hove Club, Brighton
The Ipswich & Suffolk Club, Ipswich
The Norfolk Club, Norwich
The Northampton & County Club, Northampton
The Oxford Union Society, Oxford*
The Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh
The Trinity College Historical Society, Dublin*
The University of St. Andrews Union Debating Society, St. Andrews*
Europe (Outside UK)
The Business Club Hamburg, Hamburg
The Buyuk Kulup Cercle D’Orient, Istanbul
The Circolo Bononia, Bologna
The Club International e.V., Leipzig
The Grémio Literário, Lisboa
The Residence Exclusive Club, Sofia
The Union International Club, Frankfurt
London
The Century Club
The Lansdowne Club
The National Liberal Club
United States & Canada
The Athenaeum, Pasadena
The Cypress Club, Medicine Hat
The Forest & Stream Club, Montreal
The Halifax Club, Halifax, Canada
The Montauk Club, New York City
The National Club, Toronto
The National Democratic Club, Washington
D.C.
The Saskatoon Club, Saskatoon
The Vancouver Club, Vancouver
The Yale Political Union, New Haven*
Rest of World
The Abbottabad Club, Abbottabad
The Bowring Institute, Bengaluru
The Cape Town Club – Cape Town
The Capital Club Dubai, Dubai
The Foreign Correspondents Club, Hong Kong
The King Hussein Club, Amman
The Melbourne Savage Club, Melbourne
The Rand Club, Johannesburg
The Uruguay Club, Montevideo
The Yokohama Country and Athletic Club, Yokohama
Clubs indicated by an asterisk (*) are debating and free speech societies.
Debates
THW Abolish Private Schools
THB We Must Expand Britain’s Military
THB Trump is a 21st Century Fascist
THB Marriage is an Inherently Oppressive Institution
THW Go On Reality TV
THB Identity Politics are a Distraction
THB Policing Cannot Work
THB Meat is Murder
THB the Time Has Come for a United Ireland
THB Modern Conservatism is Incompatible with Democracy
A Message
from the Debates Officer
Debating has been the core of the Cambridge Union since 1815. For over two hundred years, we have debated issues of both domestic and international importance every Thursday night. The importance of free speech is emphasised in debate; we all have a voice and in current times, it is essential we use it to defend our beliefs and stand up for what is right. I hope the debates programme for Lent 2025 will provoke sincere discussion on how to preserve the freedoms we often unthinkingly take for granted in the Chamber.
The term card spans a wide range of topics, from the military to veganism to Ireland. We kick off our open period with the all-too relevant debate on private school abolition and I encourage you all to attend. The speakers we have enlisted come from a diverse array of backgrounds, professions and perspectives and we have worded the motions to ensure as much exciting debate as possible. We truly have something for everyone and I hope we can challenge you on some of your most strongly held beliefs.
I’m delighted to present the first ever Thursday night Women and Non-Binary debate and BME debates. To reap the full benefits of free speech, we must ensure everyone has a space for their voice to be heard. We also hope to cure your Week 5 blues with a special Monday Night comedy debate in which we will be discussing whether we would go on reality TV —with stars from The Traitors, The Apprentice, Love Island and more.
I would like to thank my dedicated subcommittee for all of their efforts and hard work in finalising this term card. I also wish to extend my gratitude to the support of my fellow Standing Committee, with whom it has been a delight to work alongside for almost two years! A special thank you must go to those who have helped me in both my union and personal endeavours: Esha, Issy, Amy, Molly, Katie, Alessio, and Felix.
I look forward to seeing you, our members, in the Chamber this Lent. I encourage you all to embrace the free speech motto of the Union and get involved, either in floor speeches, Points of Information, or even auditioning for a paper speech. These debates are for you to watch, learn, and engage with.
Yours truly,
Jessica Spearman | Murray Edwards College Debates Officer, Lent 2025
The First Debate • Lent 2025
This House Would Thursday 23rd January • 8pm
Abolish Private Schools
In this first debate of term, we discuss whether we would abolish private schools. The Labour government’s proposed introduction of VAT on private schools has thrust the sphere of education back into the forefront of public debate. The education of our young people is naturally a high priority for many in society and warrants careful examination, for which the debate chamber is the perfect environment. This debate provides the opportunity to analyse different perceptions on the viability of private schools and advocate for their retention. Do private schools offer an unfair advantage that some cannot afford? Is their existence reflective of the British class system?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Lewis Iwu
Brett Wigdortz OBE
Student Speaker
Julie Robinson
Gareth Parker-Jones
Helen Pike
Convened by Shifra Moriarty and Samuel Pearson
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Lewis Iwu
Lewis Iwu is co-founder and CEO of Purpose Union, a social purpose strategy firm. Lewis also led the national campaign to prevent the expansion of grammar schools in 2017. He is a former World Debating Champion and has coached England to win the World Championship in 2016. Lewis was previously the founding Director of the Fair Education Alliance, a national advocacy coalition of almost 100 nonprofits and businesses.
Brett Wigdortz OBE
Brett Wigdortz OBE is the co-founder and CEO of Tiney.co. He also wrote the original business plan for Teach First and led the organisation for fifteen years, helping to build it into one of the UK’s leading movements to tackle education inequality and the largest graduate recruiter in the country. He is co-founder and was Deputy CEO of Teach For All, which has brought the model to over 50 countries around the world.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Julie Robinson
Julie Robinson, CEO of ISC, began her career as a teacher and head in Sussex prep schools. She joined the Independent Schools Council in 2015. ISC is a coordinating body bringing together independent schools’ associations representing heads, governors and bursars to inform and promote independent education. Julie is a governor for a state school and an independent school. She is an enthusiastic advocate of partnership for all kinds of schools.
Gareth Parker-Jones
Gareth Parker-Jones has been Head Master of Rugby School since September 2020, after moving there in 2015 to be the Deputy Head (Academic). His first teaching job was at Harrow where he taught History, coached Rugby, Hockey and Cricket and was a Deputy House Master. From Harrow he moved to University College School, where he was responsible for the School’s academic enrichment programme.
Helen Pike
Helen Pike is Master of Magdalen College School, Oxford. She is the ISC representative on UCAS Council, sits on the Sutton Trust Advisory Board, and is a member of the CASE Global Board. She is a writer, academic editor, school Governor and trustee of a newly-founded school in Uganda.
The Second Debate • Lent 2025
Thursday 30th January • 8pm
This House Believes
Britain’s Military Must Expand
In the second debate, we discuss the position of Britain’s military. As concerns are raised over the fitness of Britain’s armed forces in an increasingly unstable international climate, this debate will examine whether the new government should prioritise bolstering military capabilities to ensure national security or if such additional expenditure is unjustified in an era of strained economic circumstances, where resources might be better allocated to critical domestic needs.
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Tobias Ellwood
Malcolm Rifkind
Admiral Lord West
Sophie Bolt Student Speaker Student Speaker
Convened by Seyan Dattani and Zihan Ni
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Tobias Ellwood
Tobias Ellwood is a former British Army Officer, senior UK Parliamentarian and now writer and commentator on National Security & Foreign Policy issues. He previously served as the Foreign Minister for the Middle East, Defence Minister and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee. He led the Defense Committee on dozens of visits and published reports covering future global threats, defense procurement, grey-zone warfare, Ukraine and the Middle East.
Malcolm Rifkind
Sir Malcolm Rifkind was appointed in 1979 as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. During the Falklands War, he was transferred to the Foreign Office and became Minister of State. He had served as the Secretary of State for Scotland, Transport and Defense since, before being elected as an MP for Kensington and Chelsea in 2005. From 2010 to 2015, he served as the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, overseeing MI6, MI5 and GCHQ.
Admiral Lord West
Admiral Lord West joined the Navy in 1965. In 1980 he took command of the frigate HMS ARDENT to the Falkland Islands where she was sunk in their successful recapture. In November 2000 he became NATO Commander-in-Chief East Atlantic and NATO Commander Allied Naval Forces North. He led the UK’s maritime response to 9/11 and the Navy in the initial invasion of Iraq.
Sophie Bolt
Sophie Bolt is General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. She is a long-standing peace campaigner.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
The Third Debate • Lent 2025
Thursday 6th February • 8pm
This House Believes
Trump is a 21st Century Fascist
As the United States faces the radical uncertainty of a second Trump administration, we believe the time will be ripe for a thorough evaluation of what his second presidency will mean, and of the conduct of the 2024 campaign. The campaign itself was dominated in its closing argument by this label, especially in an article backed by quotes from John Milley, but also led to fears of minimisation of fascism and political polarisation. This debate will discuss whether the label of 21st-century fascist is fitting to Trump or too extreme.
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Zack Polanski
Student Speaker
Student Speaker
Tom Slater
Roger Griffin
Student Speaker
Convened by Jonathan Marrow
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Zack Polanski
Zack Polanski was first elected to the London Assembly in May 2021, where he has been a strong advocate for electoral reform, citizens’ assemblies, and layering up London’s homes. Zack’s background sits in the gig economy, where he previously worked as an actor, youth worker, mental health counsellor and in the hospitality sector. Zack was also previously a property guardian and has first-hand experience of London’s housing crisis.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Tom Slater
Tom Slater is the editor of spiked. He also writes regularly for the Spectator and the Telegraph, covering free speech, populism and the culture war.
Roger Griffin
Roger Griffin is widely acknowledged to be one of the world’s foremost experts on the socio-historical and ideological dynamics of fascism, as well as the relationship to modernity of violence stemming from various forms of political or religious fanaticism, and in particular contemporary terrorism.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
The Fourth Debate • Lent 2025
This House Believes Thursday 13th February • 8pm
Marriage is an Inherently Oppressive Institution
For the first time, we will be holding our Women and Non-Binary debate on a Thursday night. In this debate, we will be exploring whether the tradition of marriage has to be relinquished in order for feminism to continue to make progress, or if marriage can feasibly operate without oppressing women. Does the patriarchal history of marriage still condemn the institution today?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Chidera Eggerue
Asha L. Abeyasekera
Student Speaker
Rachael Lennon
Professor Rebecca Probert
The Ven Dr Miranda Threlfall-
Convened by Catherine Smyly and Eve Nicholls
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Chidera
Eggerue
Chidera Eggerue, popularly known as ‘The Slumflower’ is an author and advocate who rose to popularity from her viral movement #SAGGYBOOBSMATTER in 2018. She brought an important conversation about women’s bodies and autonomy to the forefront with her book What a Time to be Alone, her 2020 Channel 4 documentary ‘Bring Back the Bush’ and her podcast ‘THE SLUMFLOWER HOUR’,
Asha L. Abeyasekera
Asha L. Abeyasekera is a lecturer at the Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York. Her research interests are marriage and kinship; home and homemaking; and morality, emotions, and personhood. She is the author of Making the Right Choice: Narratives of Marriage in Sri Lanka (2021, Rutgers).
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Rachael Lennon
Rachael Lennon is the author of Wedded Wife: A Feminist History of Marriage Having led the National Trust’s multi-award-winning Prejudice and Pride and Women and Power programmes, she is now Co-Director of the Centre for Heritage at Newcastle University. She writes for a range of publications and recently featured on the BBC’s Woman’s Hour and Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women podcast.
Professor Rebecca Probert
Professor Rebecca Probert is Professor of Law at the University of Exeter. She is the author of The Legal Regulation of Cohabitation: From Fornicators to Family, 16002010(2012), and Tying the Knot: The Formation of Marriage, 1836-2020 (2021). She was the specialist consultant to the Law Commission’s Weddings Project and a co-investigator on a research project on non-legally binding marriage ceremonies.
The Ven Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes
The Ven Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes is Archdeacon of Liverpool. She is a member of the Church of England’s General Synod and Archbishop’s Council, where she advocates for an inclusive, feminist Christianity. Her publications range from her doctoral thesis on medieval monastic economies to books on prayer for children; her most recent book is How To Read the Bible: 21 Ways to Enjoy and Understand Scripture. She read history at Christ’s (m.1992) and is a life member of the Union Society.
The Comedy Debate • Lent 2025
This House Would Monday 17th February • 8pm
Go On Reality TV
Social Events presents an exciting Comedy Debate format for Lent 2025! We will be debating the fun topic of whether ‘This House Would Go on Reality TV’. Is it a damaging industry that should be avoided at all costs? Can it be a transformative experience for the better? With such a range of reality TV shows today, can we really be against all forms of reality TV? Join us for an entertaining evening with stars from various shows for what’s sure to be one of the most hilarious nights of term!
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Ryan-Mark Parsons FRSA
Diane Carson
Kojo Anim
Thomas Skinner
Niall Aslam
Henry Rowley
Arron Crascal
Anton Danyluk
Convened by Innes Morgan and Jasper Burnside
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Niall Aslam
Ryan-Mark Parsons FRSA
Ryan-Mark Parsons FRSA is a popular media figure widely known for being the youngest-ever candidate on BBC One’s ‘The Apprentice’ and later starring on E4’s ‘Celebs Go Dating’. He’s also recognised for his commentary across ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’, BBC’s ‘Sunday Morning Live’, Sky News, GB News, and more.
Diane Carson
In 2023, Diane was fairly unknown to the wider public. Then she applied for one of the most popular reality television shows in recent British history - for a laugh! She had no designs on actually making it onto the programme. She simply wanted to screenshot her application and send it to her children. After making it onto the Traitors,
Kojo Anim
Kojo Anim has fast become one of the funniest talents to come out of the UK comedy circuit. Kojo has opened up for comedy royalty such as Chris Rock, Kevin Hart at Wembley Arena and Dave Chappelle at the Royal Albert Hall. Kojo was on series 13 of global TV talent show, Britain’s Got Talent in 2019 and received Simon Cowell’s prestigious Golden Buzzer which sent him to the live semi-finals. He then went onto the Grand Final and became a top-4 finalist.
Thomas Skinner
Tom Skinner is a grafter. Born and bred in Romford, he’s spent a lifetime on market stalls and has always had an eye for opportunity. Tom first hit our screens as the standout contestant on series 15 of ‘The Apprentice’ and has gone on to appear on a variety of shows including ‘Celebrity Masterchef’, ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’, ‘The Wheel’
Niall Aslam is a mental health advocate, ambassador for the National Autistic Society and former reality TV contestant. Following his appearance on Love Island and subsequent departure due to a psychotic episode, Niall has used his platforms to raise awareness about mental health challenges particularly those faced by autistic individuals.
Henry Rowley
Henry presents characters with which we are all, unfortunately, slightly too familiar with and he has since formed a loyal fan base; from uncomfortable POV videos, he paints a hilarious and accurate picture of social interactions. Henry has performed on stage at the Curve Theatre in Leicester and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Arron Crascall
Arron Crascall’s humble rise from a small town bookie filming Snapchat and Vine videos on his iPhone to being recognized as one of the UK’s most popular social media comedians hasn’t been an easy one. But Arron seems to create a steady stream of public pranks, reaction videos, and zany characters with ease.
Anton Danyluk
Anton Danyluk is an entrepreneur, TV Presenter, author and fitness mentor. Over the years Anton has run a number of businesses, he started his first at 17 years old, all the while working in the family popcorn business Mac-corns and then at the age of 23 opening a fully equipped gym catering for both adults and children.
The Fifth Debate • Lent 2025
This House Believes Thursday 20th February • 8pm
Identity Politics Are A Distraction
With the rise of identity politics in recent years, we will be exploring this crucial topic and whether it is a distraction. In a debate that cuts across typical political divisions, we will discuss the ways in which identity politics can both help and hinder different ethnic communities in Britain. Have identity politics been weaponised by politicians across the political spectrum to distract from economic issues? Or do identity politics hold an important place in society?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Katharine Birbalsingh
Lord Tony Sewell
Debbie Hayton
Simon Fanshawe OBE
Natasha Johnson
Student Speaker
Convened by Aliya Adebowale and Miranda Palazzo
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Katharine Birbalsingh
Katharine Birbalsingh is Headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School and former Chair of the Social Mobility Commission. She is known as ‘Britain’s Strictest Headmistress’, following the ITV documentary about Michaela. OFSTED graded the school as “Outstanding” in every category. Katharine was appointed Honorary Fellow of New College, Oxford in 2021 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2020.
Lord Tony Sewell
Dr Tony Sewell CBE is Chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. He is also the head of ‘Generating Genius’, a charity which works to help talented BAME students excel in STEM. He has been an international consultant in education for the World Bank and Commonwealth Secretariat, and served as a board member of the Youth Justice Board for England & Wales.
Debbie Hayton
Debbie Hayton is a British secondary school science teacher and political activist. She is a regular writer for The Spectator, and is the author of Transsexual Apostate — My Journey Back to Reality.
Simon Fanshawe OBE
Simon Fanshawe OBE is a diversity consultant, broadcaster and author. He is the co-founder of Diversity by Design which supports organisations to truly diversify their senior people. He is the Chairman of Hexagon Housing Association and the current Rector of Edinburgh University. He was previously a non-exec director of Housing & Care 21, and a Governor of the Museum of London.
Natasha Johnson
Natasha Johnson is the Co-Founder of Anti-Racist organisation All Black Lives UK and currently the EDI Officer for a Midlands Homelessness Youth Charity. For the last five years, Natasha has dedicated her life to anti-racism, anti-fascism and equality for all people nationally and internationally. She continues to speak at local events in her city of Birmingham, hoping to move towards a more accepting society.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
The Sixth Debate • Lent 2025
This House Believes Thursday 27th February • 8pm
Policing Cannot Work
In August 2024, the police inspectorate reported that the Metropolitan Police was “failing in almost all its areas of work”. As high-profile instances of police brutality continue to enter the public eye across the world, and reports continue to stress cracks in Britain’s policing, the question has continued to rise of whether the problem lies within Britain’s police systems - or the concept of policing itself. In this debate, we ask ourselves: is racism a bug or feature or policing?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Leah Cowan
Aamer Anwar
Student Speaker
Andy George
Inspector Charles Ehikioya
Student Speaker
Convened by Christopher Lorde and Aliya Adebowale
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Leah Cowan
Leah Cowan is a writer and editor. She is the former Politics Editor at gal-dem, an online magazine and media platform run by women and non-binary people of colour. Leah speaks and lectures, including for UN Women, in the House of Commons, at the Trades Union Congress, and at universities across England. Her first book, Border Nation: A Story of Migration was published in 2021, and her second title Why Would Feminists Trust the Police? was published in 2024.
Aamer Anwar
Aamer Anwar is a criminal defence lawyer and human rights campaigner who has instructed on some of Scotland’s most high profile cases.For over three decades Aamer has been a tireless advocate of civil liberties, with a career dedicated to defending the human rights of the vulnerable. He has acted as a legal adviser to the Scottish Campaign against Criminalising of Communities, the Stop the War Coalition, the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation and is a Trustee of TIE, an LGBT Inclusive Education charity.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Andy George
Andy George is the current President of the National Black Police Association (NBPA) in the United Kingdom and a serving police officer in the Police Service of Northern Ireland having joined the service in 1999. Andy advices the National Police Chiefs Council, College of Policing, Independent Office of Police Complaints and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Service on racial equality, system change and police accountability.
Inspector Charles Ehikioya
Inspector Charles Ehikioya is the Chair of the Metropolitan Black Police Association. He is the deputy lead for the MetBPA Police Encounters Powers & Polcies Portfolio Deputy Lead, and is the portfolio lead for the National Black Police Association’s Police Encounters, Powers & Policies Portfolio.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
The Seventh Debate • Lent 2025
This House Believes Thursday 6th March • 8pm
Meat is Murder
In 2024, there are an estimated 2.5 million vegans in the UK, 4.7% of the adult population, and 3.1 million vegetarians. In this debate, we will be discussing whether, as The Smiths argued, meat is murder. With many opting to go vegetarian or vegan out of health or humanitarian reasons, we will be discussing the way humankind treats animalkind and whether this can ever be ethical. Is the eating of animals really murder?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Jeff McMahan
Carol Adams
Student Speaker
Convened by Heemi Comrie
Patrick Holden
Louise Gray
Jamie Blackett
Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm
Jeff McMahan
Jeff McMahan is Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy emeritus at the University of Oxford. He works in moral, political, and legal philosophy, and particularly in practical ethics. He is the author of The Ethics of Killing: Problems at the Margins of Life (Oxford University Press, 2002) and Killing in War (OUP, 2009). He is now writing a book about the relevance of population ethics to various issues in practical ethics: The Ethics of Creating, Saving, and Ending Lives.
Carol Adams
Carol J. Adams is a feminist scholar and activist whose written work explores the cultural construction of overlapping and interconnected oppressions, as well as the ethics of care. Her books, Neither Man nor Beast: Feminism and the Defense of Animals and Living Among Meat Eaters are published in Bloomsbury’s Revelations Series. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, The Christian Century, Tikkun, and Truthdig, among others.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Patrick Holden
Patrick Holden is the founder and CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust, whose mission is to work internationally to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable food and farming systems. He currently leads a task force on measuring land use sustainability for the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), established by the then Prince of Wales in 2020. He received a CBE for services to organic farming in 2005 and is a Patron of the UK Bio-dynamic Agriculture Association.
Louise Gray
After five years at The Daily Telegraph as Environment Correspondent, Louise Gray is now a freelance writer. She has worked for the BBC, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Country Life, The Spectator and Scottish Field. She has written a book for Bloomsbury entitled The Ethical Carnivore, that discusses the ethics of meat by only eating animals she has killed herself.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
The Eighth Debate • Lent 2025
This House Believes Thursday 13th March • 8pm
The Time Has Come for a United Ireland
On the Thursday night before St. Patrick’s Day, we will be discussing whether it is now the time for a United Ireland. As part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a provision was made for holding a Northern Ireland border poll in UK law. Given the recent results of the General Election and subsequent changes in the UK government, the Irish election, and the Assembly Elections in the north of Ireland putting nationalists above unionists for the first time, will we see the unification of the island of Ireland?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Aoife Moore
Pat Cullen MP
Student Speaker
Malachi O’Doherty
Alex Burghart MP
Jamie Blackett
Convened by Isaac James and Zihan Tian
Aoife Moore
Aoife Moore is a Dublin-based journalist, author and documentary maker. Born and raised in Derry, she has become one of the foremost commentators on Irish society and politics. Her previously work has been as a political journalist at the BBC, The Irish Examiner and the Sunday Times. In 2021 she was named Journalist of the Year for breaking the Golfgate scandal. She is a Sunday Times Number One best selling author for her debut book The Long Game - Inside Sinn Fein.
Pat Cullen MP
Pat Cullen is the Sinn Fein MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone since 2024. She was previously the Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing from 2021 to 2024. She has previously worked as a community nurse in West Belfast and registered psychotherapist. In 2022, she led English and Welsh nurses in the first NHS strikes in the nursing union’s history.
Student Speaker
This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4, or on our social media profiles.
Malachi O’Doherty
Malachi O’Doherty is a writer based in Belfast. He is the author of twelve published books, mostly memoir led and dealing with Northern Irish politics and the Troubles. These include Can Ireland Be One? (Merrion 2022) and How To Fix Northern Ireland (Atlantic 2023). Dr O’Doherty writes weekly columns for The Belfast Telegraph and the Irish Post, and is a frequent guest on BBC Radio Ulster.
Alex Burghart MP
Alex Burghart is the MP for Brentwood and Ongar and the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Alex has been a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights and was previously a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Northern Ireland Secretary of State.
Jamie Blackett
Jamie Blackett is a farmer, conservationist, author, columnist and playwright. He is the author of three books, two of them about farming. His books established Jamie as a commentator on rural issues and gave him a third career as a freelance columnist and broadcaster. In 2020 he was the recipient of the Charles DouglasHome Memorial Trust Award for journalism.
The Presidential Debate • Lent 2025
This House Believes Thursday 20th March • 8pm
Modern Conservatism Is Incompatible with Democracy
Has global conservatism, influenced by the milleu of far right populists, taken a turn fundamentally incompatible with democracy? Or are the accusations of censorious tendencies and antidemocratic practices from left leaning activists, angry at the popular appeal of their opposition, the greater threat to our democratic experiment?
PROPOSITION OPPOSITION
Sammy McDonald
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul
Will Hutton
Leonas Pausch
Lara Brown
The Rt. Hon Lord Swire
Convened by Pollyanna Greene-Wright, Isaac James, and Seyan Dattani
Sammy McDonald
Sammy McDonald is the outgoing president of the Cambridge Union. He is a third year history student, as well as an executive committee member of the Labour Club and Debates Officer for the Cambridge United Nations Association.
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul is a political campaigner, commentator, and founder of ONInsights, a consultancy dedicated to advancing democratic inclusion and championing progressive ideas. After two years working at Labour HQ, he stood as the Labour Party candidate for Clacton in the 2024 General Election, challenging Nigel Farage MP. Jovan holds a Master’s degree in History from Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Will Hutton
Will Hutton is a columnist for The Observer. He also co-chairs the Purposeful Company, and is the president-designate of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is the chair of the advisory board of the UK National Youth Corps, and was principal of Hertford College, University of Oxford from 2011 to 2020.
Leonas Pausch
Leonas Pausch is the outgoing Vice President of the Cambridge Union. He is a third-year History and Politics student at Homerton College as well as the Founder of Homerton Politics Society and former Head of Conferences for the Wilberforce Society.
Lara Brown
Lara Brown was the President of the Cambridge Union in Michaelmas 2022. Since leaving the Union -- and having completed her degree in English Literature at Downing College -- she has been a Senior Research Fellow for Culture and Identity at Policy Exchange. She has written for The Critic, The Spectator, and the Telegraph.
The Rt. Hon Lord Swire
Lord Hugo Swire is a Lord Temporal member of the House of Lords. He has previously held several ministerial roles for the Conservative Party, including as Minister of State for Europe and the Americas. Lord Swire is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.
Floor Speech Prizes
1x personalised full-zip college fleece from Ryder & Amies
x2 Town v Gown tickets to a half of your choice.
£30 voucher from The Gardenia A seat to the Week 5 Debate Dinner
x2 Tickets to Cocktail Making Classes
x1 ticket to the Cambridge Fashion Charity Show
Create your own personalised Jack’s flavour!
Seat to dinner with Abby Lee Miller
Free Dostoyevsky book set
£50 voucher for the Orator, dinner for 2
Historical Motions
Speakers
Holocaust Memorial Lecture: Martin Stern
Ben Davies
Behind the Wheel: 75 Years of Formula One Panel
Vince Cable
Martin Wolf
Dame Prue Leith
Baroness Hale
Britain & The Women Who Led The Charge
Leonard Leo
Abby Lee Miller
Husam Zomlot
Cenk Uygur speakers
A Message
from the Speakers Officer
This year the Union turns two hundred and ten years old. Simultaneously, I find myself to be the Union’s first black Speakers Officer in exactly thirteen years. It is in that joint spirit of admiring and reflecting; paying homage yet changing track, that I am proud to unveil this termcard. A selection of thought-provoking events that acknowledge our enduring legacy of free speech whilst representing the broader interests that are close to you the members: the beating heart of the Union.
I am perhaps most pleased to present the three pledged events from my campaign days that sought to reflect the wishes of the members. The Union is honoured to host Dr Martin Stern MBE, one of the last few living holocaust survivors, for the first Holocaust Memorial Lecture since the pandemic. Additionally, we are pleased to bring panels back into the speakers department in an aim to stimulate exciting conversations with multiple voices. As Formula One turns seventy-five, join the likes of Ayao Komatsu and Christian Horner to discuss your favourite moments on and off the circuit. Celebrate International Women’s Day in the chamber with a politics panel in conversation with women campaigners, leaders and politicians who led the charge for equality and justice in Britain. Furthermore, writing this welcome just a few days after the announcement of a ceasefire-deal I’m sure many members will be eager to hear from Ambassador Zomlot as we host him in the chamber.
Like all term cards, this was brought together by a village. I’d like to first start off by thanking my subcommittee who brought to every Monday and Thursday afternoon their talent and intellect. This wouldn’t have been possible without you. My overflowing thanks to my Union parents Neha and Felix for their endless support, often dealing and bearing with my incessant questions during my days as a fresher and always lending an ear and helping hand- you have been truly amazing and the building is still not quite the same without you. My thanks to the Standing Committee for all of your support and collaboration, it’s been a brilliant time working alongside you. A special thanks to my family who have coped with many holidays with me cooped up in my room typing away invitations and ranting about scheduling intricacies- your kindness, advice (and patience!) is greatly appreciated. I love you all very much.
So my final plea to you: please get involved. Sign up for the speakers ballots to meet our guest speakers (imagine having dessert with Dame Prue Leith while discussing her favourite bakes!) or submit questions to be asked during interviews. At the end of the day, the Union is for its members so seize the reins, get stuck in and enjoy it. Where else in Cambridge can you bump into both Abby Lee Miller and Vince Cable?
Yours as ever,
Ivan Alexei Ampiah | Downing College Speakers Officer, Lent 2025
The 2025 Holocaust Memorial Lecture
Dr Martin Stern MBe
Holocaust Survivor & Retired Doctor
Dr Martin Stern MBE was born in 1938 and lived in Holland. He survived camps at both Westerbork and Theresienstadt. His parents were German, but fled to the Netherlands in part because Nazi laws in Germany forbade his non-Jewish mother from marrying his Jewish father. When Martin was two years old, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands. His father could not continue his work as an architect and had to go into hiding. Martin’s mother died after giving birth to his sister and the non-Jewish couple who looked after him whilst his sister was born continued to do so for two years, pretending he was their son.
Martin and his sister Erica were both sent to Westerbork transit camp. Martin was five and Erica was one. On 8 May 1945, the Soviet army entered and liberated the camp, although it was some time before the prisoners could leave.
After returning home to the Netherlands, Martin was sent from family to family, before moving to stay with relatives in the UK. He learnt English and did well at school, going on to become a British citizen aged 16 before studying Medicine at Oxford University. Martin worked as a hospital doctor living with his family in Leicester for many years. Today, he dedicates his time to sharing his story with groups across the UK, also teaching about other genocides and what it is about the human mind which makes such horrors possible. He often thinks about the other young children who were his friends in the camps, who did not survive.
Monday 27th January • 7pm
Interview & Q&A with Ben DavieS Professional Footballer
Ben Davies is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a left-back and centre-back for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Wales national team. Davies is an academy graduate of Swansea City, a Welsh club based in Swansea who play in the English football league system, and also joined Danish club Viborg FF’s academy while his family lived in Denmark.
He made his professional debut for Swansea City in the second Premier League game of the 2012–13 season against West Ham United, scoring his first professional goal in a 3–1 Premier League win against Stoke City in January 2013. In the 2013–14 season, Davies was once again a regular for Swansea City. In September 2012, Davies was selected for the Wales squad for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. In July 2014, he joined Tottenham Hotspur, and has remained there since.
He has gone on to make over 300 Premier League appearances since the start of his career. Davies also appeared in 92 caps for Wales and helped the dragons qualify for 2 European Championships and the World Cup in 2022, their first tournament appearance since 1958.
Monday 3rd February • 7pm
PANELISTS Monday 10th February • 6pm
Behind The Wheel: 75 Years of Formula One
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, with the genesis champion race hailing back to May 1950. The racing car tradition has continued to unite a range of fans from across all age groups and particularly here in Cambridge avid historians to medics find great delight within the membership. With an estimated 750 million fans worldwide, the support for the sport continues to climb from strength to strength and we are proud to share in that enthusiasm here in the Union.
Christian Horner
Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner has been at the helm since the team’s inception in 2004. Christian created a strong team that has won seven Constructors’ Championships, four Drivers’ Championships with Sebastian Vettel and three Drivers’ Championships with Max Verstappen. The phenomenal success on track has been matched by expansion away from the world’s circuits.
Bernie Collins
Bernie Collins is a mechanical engineering graduate from Queen’s University Belfast who began her motorsport career at McLaren. She quickly advanced from a trainee role to performance engineer for McLaren F1. In 2015, Bernie joined Force India as a performance and strategy engineer, later becoming head of race strategy when the team transitioned to Aston Martin. In 2022, Bernie transitioned from the pit wall to a media role as a race strategy analyst for Sky Sports F1.
Ayao Komatsu
With over 20 years of Formula 1 experience, Ayao Komatsu has most recently worked with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Championship, leading the team forward in the role of Team Principal, having previously managed the engineering department as Chief Race Engineer and subsequently Director of Engineering.
James Allison
James Allison is Technical Director of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. His F1 career started in 1991, when he joined the Benetton F1 Team as a Junior Aerodynamic Designer immediately after graduating from the University of Cambridge. Why did James want to work in Formula One? “It was a great alternative to growing up and getting a proper job.” With that answer, it seems inevitable that James would end up in motorsport.
Interview & Q&A with reza Pahlavi Crown Prince of Iran
Reza Pahlavi was born in Tehran, Iran on October 31, 1960 as the heir to the late Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran and Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran. He was officially named Crown Prince in 1967 at the time of his father’s coronation. In 1978, at the age of 17, he left Iran for jet fighter training in the United States Air Force at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. During this same period, the building unrest in Iran led to the royal family’s departure in January 1979, preventing Reza Pahlavi’s return to his homeland.
Reza Pahlavi completed the United States Air Force Training Program. During his first exile years, he continued and completed his higher education with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California. As an accomplished jet fighter pilot, Reza Pahlavi volunteered to serve his country’s military as a fighter pilot during the Iran-Iraq War, but was declined by the clerical regime.
Pahlavi travels the world meeting with heads of state, legislators, policy-makers, interest groups and student groups speaking about the plight of Iranians under the Islamic regime in Iran. He consistently calls for the establishment of a secular democracy in Iran. He calls for regime change through non-violent civil disobedience, and for a free and open referendum on a new government of Iran.
Tuesday 11th February • 6pm
Interview & Q&A with l aila Mickelwait Anti-Sex Trafficking Activist
& Researcher
Laila Mickelwait is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Traffickinghub movement supported by millions around the world, and the national bestselling author of Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking (Penguin Random House, 2024).
She has been researching and combating the injustice of sex trafficking since 2006 and is a leading expert in the field.
Laila received her Master of Public Diplomacy degree from the Annenberg School of Communications and the Dornsife School of International Relations at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State.
Her work has been featured in hundreds of news articles worldwide, in outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, BBC News, The Times, CNN, Bloomberg, Reuters, AP, CNBC, Fox News, The Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Post, The Guardian, Business Insider, and many others.
Wednesday 19th February • 6pm
Interview
& Q&A
with the rt hon. Sir vince caBle
Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats
The Right Honourable Sir Vince Cable is the former Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, serving throughout the five years of the Coalition government. He is the former Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former MP for Twickenham.
Now, he is a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and a Distinguished Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute. Cable is the chair of two ‘green energy’ companies, and the author of many books - most recently Money and Power, How to be a Politician and The Chinese Conundrum.
Before becoming an MP, he was an economist working on development and trade issues in East Africa, India and Latin America, and was also Chief Economist at Shell International.
He is a graduate of Cambridge (Natural Science and Economics; 1962), Fitzwilliam College and holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Glasgow. At Cambridge, he served as President of the Union (1965) and is currently an Honorary Fellow at Fitzwilliam College.
Tuesday 25th February • 6pm
Interview & Q&A with Martin wolf cBe
Economics Commentator
Martin Wolf is Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times, London. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2000. He was a member of the UK government’s Independent Commission on Banking between June 2010 and September 2011.
He is an honorary fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford and King’s College, London. He has received honorary doctorates from six universities, including the London School of Economics. He is a University Global Fellow of Columbia University, New York.
Mr Wolf won the Ludwig Erhard Prize for economic commentary for 2009, the 33rd Ischia International Journalism Prize in 2012, the Overseas Press Club of America’s prize for “best commentary on international news in any medium” for 2013 and the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gerald Loeb Awards.
His most recent publication is The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism (London and New York: Allen Lane, 2023).
Wednesday 26th February • 6pm
Interview & Q&A with DaMe Prue leith
Broadcaster & Restaurateur
Prue Leith’s career has included her own restaurants, catering and cookery school businesses; she’s been a board director of companies such as British Rail, Halifax, Safeway, Whitbread, Woolworths, and Belmond (ex-Orient Express) Hotels.
She has published eight novels, a memoir, I’ll Do Anything Once (formerly, Relish) and 14 cookbooks. Prue is probably best known as a judge on the Great British Bake Off, a gardening programme, Prue’s Great Garden Plot with her husband, as well as a judge on the American Baking Show. She has also been a judge on The Great British Menu and My Kitchen Rules. Prue has her own TV show, Prue Leiths Cotswold Kitchen, with a 2nd series coming Spring 2025. Prue chaired the first of the companies charged with turning round failing state schools, and was Chair of the School Food Trust, responsible for the improvement of school food and food education. She started and led the campaign for contemporary sculpture to be exhibited on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. She has been active in many charities and was the Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and an advisor for the Government’s Hospital Food Review.
Among her awards she has a DBE, 12 honorary degrees or fellowships from UK universities, the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the year, and her restaurant, Leith’s, won a Michelin star. She is married with two children and five grandchildren. Not bad for an octogenarian!
Monday 3rd March • 7pm
Interview & Q&A with BaroneSS hale
Former President of the Supreme Court
Lady Hale of Richmond, DBE took up appointment as President of the Supreme Court in September 2017, succeeding Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury. This was following her appointment as Deputy President from June 2013. In October 2009 she became the first woman Justice of the Supreme Court. In January 2004, Lady Hale became the United Kingdom’s first woman Lord of Appeal in Ordinary after a varied career as an academic lawyer, law reformer, and judge.
After graduating from Cambridge in 1966, she taught law at Manchester University from 1966 to 1984, also qualifying as a barrister and practising for a while at the Manchester Bar. She specialised in Family and Social Welfare law, was founding editor of the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, and authored a pioneering case book on ‘The Family, Law and Society’. In 1984 she was the first woman to be appointed to the Law Commission, a statutory body which promotes the reform of the law. st to have made her career as an academic and public servant rather than a practising barrister. In 1999 she was the second woman to be promoted to the Court of Appeal, before becoming the first woman Law Lord.
She retains her links with the academic world as Visitor of Girton College, Cambridge, and Visiting Professor of Kings College London. She previously served as Chancellor of the University of Bristol.
Tuesday 4th March • 6pm
Friday 7th March • 7pm Panel
Britain & The Women Who Led The Charge
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Accelerate Action. The purpose of our women in politics panel is to highlight the contribution of women in and across the nation who have led some of the most important political moments of our lifetimes from breaking glass ceilings to leading efforts in campaigning for more justice and equality on some of the most important issues facing women today.
The Rt. Hon Baroness Chakrabati CBE PC
Shami Chakrabarti is a leading British human rights lawyer and campaigner who has written and broadcast widely and held a number of public roles in recent decades. A legislator in the House of Lords, she is the author of On Liberty and Of Women. Director of Liberty (the National Council for Civil Liberties) from 2003 to 2016, she was Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales from 2016 to 2020.
Helen Pankhurst
Helen Pankhurst CBE is an international development and women’s rights advisor to CARE International – working mainly in Ethiopia and the UK. She is the first Chancellor of the University of Suffolk, a visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University and holds honorary doctorates from Edge Hill University and the University of Manchester.
Natalie Campbell
Natalie Campbell MBE ran as an independent candidate for Mayor of London in May 2024. By day, Natalie is Co-CEO of Belu Water, a drinks business that puts people and the environment first. To date, Belu has given WaterAid over £5.8m to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere. She is also an award-winning social entrepreneur and broadcaster and the Chancellor of The University of Westminster.
Laura Coryton
Laura Coryton MBE is a feminist campaigner, author and founder of the social enterprise ‘Sex Ed Matters’. She led the petition to end tampon tax, which gained over 300,000 signatures and support from major political figures including President Obama. Together, they successfully lobbied the government into establishing the Tampon Tax Fund, through which almost £100m was donated to female-focused charities, and to ending the sexist tax in 2021. She is also an Obama Foundation European Leader.
Interview & Q&A with leonarD leo Conservative Legal Activist
Leonard Leo is Chairman of both Marble Freedom Trust and CRC Advisors, and in those roles has been described by several national and international media outlets as “one of the most powerful architects of America’s conservative movement and of the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court.”
The New York Times has called the Trust “one of the best-funded and most sophisticated operations in American politics” with “extraordinary influence” in advancing conservative philanthropy that focuses on the rule of law, free markets, media and entertainment, and the development of talent pipelines and networks. As Chairman of CRC Advisors, Leonard leads the firm’s focus on incubating new ventures for the conservative movement.
Leonard also serves as Co-Chairman of the Federalist Society and Chairman of the Teneo Network, two of the most successful talent pipelines in the American conservative movement. Leonard holds degrees from Cornell University and Cornell Law School.
Tuesday 11th March • 5pm
Interview & Q&A with aBBy lee Mller Dance
Teacher & Choreographer
At the tenacious teen age of 14, Abby founded the Abby Lee Dance Company. With a penchant for creativity and a drive to succeed, Abby recognized that her 15 original company members needed to be strong, fearless and technically trained to be able to execute her innovative choreography. Under Abby’s direction, the ALDC Competition Team grew to 148 members. Year after year countless trophies, banners, crowns and titles, both regional and national, were won. Today, Abby Lee Miller has had students perform in 27 different Broadway shows (most recently the original B’way cast of The Notebook, the brand new Death Becomes Her, and Suffs Produced by Hillary Clinton)-while countless other alum have traveled the world with their dance training from the ALDC in Pittsburgh, PA.
In 2011, Abby Lee burst onto the reality TV scene and into your homes on screen when Lifetime Television followed a group of her students and their mothers to dance competitions. The rest, as they say, was history! Abby appeared on Jimmy Fallen, The Talk, Doctor’s, Dr Oz, co-hosted The View and served as a guest judge on Dancing With The Stars! Dance Moms became a pop-culture phenomenon which consistently drew 2.8 million viewers weekly, sold to international outlets, and aired in 134 countries. While Ms. Miller works on several new TV projects, she continues to entertain audiences on her own YouTube channel and teaches the art of Dance & Acrobatics to thousands of children at her own personal events and worldwide zoom classes too!
Wednesday 12th March • 7pm
Interview & Q&A with huSaM zoMlot Ambassador of Palestine to the United Kingdom
Dr Husam S. Zomlot is the Ambassador of Palestine to the United Kingdom. Previously, Dr. Zomlot served as Ambassador to the United States, Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Palestinian president.
Dr Zomlot held several academic positions. He worked as a professor of Public Policy at Birzeit University, where he co-founded and chaired the Birzeit School of Government. He held a number of teaching and research positions at Harvard University and the University of London.
His professional experience includes working as an economist at the United Nations and economic researcher with the London School of Economics and the Palestine Policy Research Institute.
Dr Zomlot holds a PhD in economics from the University of London. He is married and has three children.
Interview & Q&A with cenk uygur Internet Commentator
Cenk Uygur is the CEO and founder of TYT, host of The Young Turks - the largest online news show in the world - and also co-founded the Justice Democrats. Cenk is also the bestselling author of Justice is Coming, available wherever books and audiobooks are sold.
With a verified global audience of more than 500 million views a month and 30 billion total video views, TYT is the #1 most engaged news and politics network.
Uygur launched The Young Turks as a talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio in 2002 and started uploading videos on YouTube in 2005. Since then, The Young Turks has become the longest running daily stream online, as the leading news and politics show for young, progressive viewers.
He’s also appeared on Cuomo Prime Time, ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos, NPR, Headline News, E!, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show and Fox News Channel.
Uygur was the host of The Young Turks on Current TV, which was the most popular show on the channel’s two-year run. Prior to Current TV, Uygur was the host of MSNBC Live at 6pm ET. Uygur graduated from the Wharton School of Business at University of Pennsylvania and from Columbia Law School.
Saturday 15th March • TBC
Timothy Lambden
Timothy Lambden
Chris Williamson
Chris Williamson
Chris Williamson
Nordin Catic
Nordin Catic
Nordin Catic
Flo Tawns
Nordin Catic
Alex Lau
Chris Williamson
Sign up for the
SPEAKERS BALLOT
Meet the Union’s speakers at drinks receptions!
One of our core goals at the Union is to connect you, the members, with the speakers that we host. That is why we will once again be running a speaker ballot, giving you the opportunity to attend dinners and drinks receptions with this term’s guests. Keep an eye on our social media to get your chance!
Equalities
Dame Melinda Simmons DCMG
Afzal Khan MP & Tahir Ali MP with Cambridge University Pakistan Society
Sultana Tafadar KC with Cambridge University Law Society
ACS Motherland Conference
Leanne Mohamad
Panel: Democracy & Discrimination in the Age of AI
Galentine’s Groove: Silent Disco with Black Girl’s Space
Nathan Law
The Lent Term Play: The Laramie Project Panel: Combatting Violence Against Women and Girls
Dr Ally Louks
Getting Involved Workshops events
from the Equalities Officer A Message
The Union’s core mission of free speech and free expression doesn’t exist without a commitment to diverse speech – ensuring that all of our members feel like they have the power to join the conversation. As your Equalities Officer, my role is to make sure that we’re fostering that space for open communication – platforming marginalised voices and bringing in new perspectives.
We’re beyond excited to hit the ground running with our work this term. Our Open Period brings you three exciting events with former Ambassador to Ukraine Dame Melinda Simmons, Afzal Khan MP & Tahir Ali MP courtesy of Pakistan Society, and Sultana Tafadar KC, the first hijab-wearing criminal barrister to be appointed King’s Counsel. We’re later joined by Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law, Palestinian activist and parliamentary candidate Leanne Mohamad and Dr. Ally Louks, the viral sensation and Cambridge academic known for her work on smell, ethics, and identity. As always, we’ll be hosting regular workshops on how to get involved in the Union - whether that’s at the despatch box or on a committee. The Equalities Subcommittee has also worked with the Debates team to bring you the first Thursday Night Women & Non-Binary and BME Debates, where we debate whether marriage is inherently oppressive and whether racial bias is a bug or a feature of policing as we know it. We continue discussing today’s most pressing matters with a panel examining AI ethics and the role of technology in suppressing marginalised voices, and a panel on tackling the epidemic of violence against women and girls, where we’re joined by representatives from Women’s Aid, StampOutSpiking, I Choose Freedom, and Male Allies Challenging Sexism.
We’re proud to continue working with societies across Cambridge, kicking off February alongside the African-Caribbean Society and the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone for the annual Motherland Conference. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we’re joined by Black Girl’s Space and Brown Girl Link Up for a silent disco in the Cellars. During LGBTQ+ History Month, the Pembroke Players join us to transform the chamber for a two-day run of The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project — a seminal work of queer theatre that I could not be more proud to watch come to life. Just days later, we welcome a Hollywood superstar to recognise the 60th anniversary of our famous Baldwin v Buckley debate - stay tuned for the announcement!. The Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies marks the last of our collaborations, with a panel featuring eminent diplomats and politicians to discuss Palestine & peace in the Middle East.
My enormous thanks to the wonderful members of my subcommittee, who have put in amazing work over the past term to bring this slate of events to life: Aliya, Cynthia, Ipseh, Ismail, Tash, Ted, and Zara, your dedication over Michaelmas couldn’t be more appreciated. To every member of Standing Committee – thank you so much - this couldn’t be possible without you! To our members: thank you all for being the force that keeps us moving. I’m wishing you all a fulfilling Lent term –and am looking forward to what’s to come.
With love, thanks, and anticipation,
Christopher Lorde | Christ’s College Equalities Officer, Lent 2025
A Fireside Chat with
Dame melinDa simmons D cmg
Former British Ambassador to Ukraine
Dame Melinda Simmons was the British Ambassador to Ukraine from 2019 until 2023 and her tenure there was marked first by two years of COVID and then by two years of the Russian invasion. She evacuated to Poland at the start of the invasion and then returned less than a month later, working under fire inside Ukraine for 18 months, witnessing the aftermath of mass killings and human rights abuses, and the destruction of homes.
Before taking up the role in Kyiv Melinda was head of Conflict Department, and among her work there campaigned for justice for crimes of sexual violence against women and girls in wartorn countries. She also specialised in United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding. She has campaigned to increase the number of women working in the security sector and coaches several women to this end.
Since returning to the UK Dame Melinda has been working as an Honorary Professor at University College London, lecturing and speaking at events on geopolitics and security in Eastern Europe, and has also been lecturing at the London Business School, focusing on women leadership in fragile environments. Dame Melinda is currently studying a foreign language full time for her next overseas posting which will begin in the Summer of 2025.
Saturday 25th January • 6pm
Panel with Cambridge University Pakistan Society
British-Pakistanis in Politics
Join us and the Cambridge University Pakistan Society for an inspiring evening with British Pakistani MPs Tahir Ali and Afzal Khan, as they share their journeys into politics and parliament, discuss their cultural heritage, and offer insights on Britain’s political climate.
tahir ali MP
Member of Parliament
Tahir Ali is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley since 2019. He is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group.
afzal khan MP
Member of Parliament
Afzal Khan is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Manchester Rusholme since 2017.
He was formerly Lord Mayor of Manchester from 2005-2006, and a Member of the European Parliament for North West England from 20142017. In 2008, he was awarded a CBE for his work on race relations.
Tuesday 28th January • 5pm
A
Fireside Chat with
sultana tafaDar Kc King’s Counsel Barrister & Human Rights Advisor
A multi-award-winning King’s Counsel, in March 2022, Sultana Tafadar became the first hijab-wearing criminal barrister to attain the rank of ‘Silk’. Tafadar is considered one of the foremost experts in counter terrorism and national security cases. She also has an extensive practice across human rights. criminal justice and public international law. Tafadar advises and acts for individuals, states, NGOs, multinational corporations and other national and international bodies, appearing in courts at all levels.
Tafadar holds a number of national and international human rights-related appointments, and previously worked at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International (AI) in the Africa Program; the Middle East Program; and the International Justice Project of the International Law Program. In 2023, Tafadar co-founded the Girls Human Rights Hub with her now 12-year-old daughter.
Tafadar is the winner of Barrister of the Year, Inspirational Women in Law Awards, 2022; Winner of the Professions Category, Asian Women of Achievement, 2021; HERoes Top 100 Women Future Leaders, 2021; finalist in BSN Lawyer of the Year (Chambers), UK Legal Diversity Awards, 2021; finalist in Outstanding Woman in Professional category sponsored by Baker McKenzie, Precious Awards 2021.
Wednesday 29th January • 6pm
The Motherland Conference
Exploring the Soul of the Black Identity
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” - Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Friday 31st January
Friday 31st January • 7pm
“Arts Within The Black Soul”
DaviD Moinina Sengeh Chief Minister
of Sierra
Creatives panel • Keynes library
Saturday 1st February • 2:30pm
Saturday 1st February • 8pm with the African-Caribbean Society
Leone
David Moinina Sengeh is a Sierra Leonean politician who has served as the chief minister of Sierra Leone after being appointed by President Julius Maada Bio in 2023. Before this, he served as the minister of basic and senior secondary education and chief innovation officer for the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation. He is a TED Senior Fellow.
A Dialogue with the Youngest London Councillor
A Fireside Chat with Friday 31st January • Saturday 1st February
Saturday 1st February • 2pm
Interview & Networking with Lauren Domfe, founder of Bear the Brunt
spOrts & COrpOrate Careers • Keynes library an interview with Cyl Cia manwa • Keynes library the mOtherland debate
This House Believes Race is a Social Construct
A Fireside Chat with
leanne
mohamaD
Human Rights Campaigner & Community Organiser
Leanne Mohamad is a British-Palestinian activist who stood as an independent candidate in the 2024 United Kingdom general election against Wes Streeting, the Labour Party incumbent and shadow health secretary, in the constituency of Ilford North.
Leanne won the UK Redbridge Regional “Speak out” challenge in May 2016 after delivering a speech entitled ‘Birds, not Bombs’ calling for peace and freedom for Palestinians. Since 2016, Leanne has been a leading activist, speaking at many universities, conferences, and even in Parliament.
In the 2024 general election, Leanne came within 528 votes of Wes Streeting, after a narrow race that saw the Health Secretary with only a 1.1% lead in final vote tallies.
Wednesday 5th February • 6pm
Friday 7th February • 5pm Panel
Democracy & Discrimination in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence has become near ubiquitous in our day-to-day lives. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT boast hundreds of millions of daily users, while social media networks have become infatuated with the technologies -- both in creating algorithms and users. However, the seemingly-neutral technology that powers systems like these can often stem from troubling legacies of violence. We bring together scholars of algorithmic governance, AI ethics, and digital humanities to discuss the use of AI in surpressing marginalised voices -- from protests to policing -- and what this may mean for democracy.
PANELISTS
Dr Matt Mahmoudi
Dr Matt Mahmoudi is an Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities, with a research focus on red-lining and resistance in digital cities, and the “smart”-urban reproduction of racial capitalism. Matt has also led Amnesty International’s research and advocacy work on AI-driven surveillance from the NYPD’s surveillance machine to Automated Apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory. Matt is a co-editor on Resisting Borders & Technologies of Violence (Haymarket, 2024) together with Mizue Aizeki and Coline Schupfer, and his forthcoming book is titled Migrants in the Digital Periphery: New Urban Frontiers of Controls (University of California Press, February 2025).
Dr Amy Gaeta
Dr. Amy Gaeta is a Research Associate at the Leverhulme Center for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge. She uses feminist theory and critical disability studies to analyze the emotional, aesthetic, and political dimensions of human-tech relations, especially those concerning consumer drones and military technologies. Gaeta’s research is deeply concerned with how semi-autonomous technologies impact the formation of subjecthood and ideas of humanness. She is strongly committed to the aims of disability justice, many of which inform her work as a researcher, advocate, and a poet. She has contributed to numerous pedagogical, community-based, and artistic projects that aim to promote the strengthening of disability culture and anti-ableism.
Christoffer Koch Andersen
Christoffer Koch Andersen is a PhD student in Gender Studies, focusing on AI, Algorithmic Violence, and Trans Liveability. He is a scholar, speaker, and activist at Pembroke College. He received the best dissertation award for the Cambridge University Faculty of Education MPhil in Knowledge, Power, and Politics.
Friday 7th February • 8pm
Galentine’s Groove
Join us and Cambridge University Black Girl’s Space to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the cellars! We’ll be partying in the cellars with a Silent Disco and cheap drinks.
Keep your eyes on our social media for information on buying tickets!
A Fireside Chat with
nathan l aw Activist, Former Student Leader & Legislator
Nathan Law is a democracy activist from Hong Kong, now based in London as a refugee. He was the youngest elected legislator in Hong Kong and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME in 2020.
As a student leader, he was chairman of the Representative Council of the Lingnan University Students’ Union, acting president of the LUSU, and secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students.
During the Umbrella Movement in 2014, Nathan was one of the five representatives who took part in the dialogue with the government, debating political reform. Upholding non-violent civic actions, Nathan, Joshua Wong and other student leaders founded Demosistō in 2016 and ran for the Legislative Council election. Nathan was elected with 50,818 votes in the Hong Kong Island constituency and became the youngest Legislative Councilor in history. His seat was overturned in July 2017 following Beijing’s constitutional reinterpretation, and Nathan was later jailed for his participation in the Umbrella Movement.
Wednesday 12th February • 6pm
The Lent Term Play: The Laramie Project
in collaboration with the Pembroke Players
by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project
CREW
Izzy Lane
Wilf Offord
Christopher Lorde
Kathryn Maloney
Alex Velody
Lauren Herd
Grace Baxter
Tia Ribbo
Louis Davidson
Iris Chapman
Co-Director
Co-Director
Producer
Assistant Director
Associate Director
Publicist
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Welfare Officer
Poster Designer
THE LARAMIE PROJECT is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)
“A pioneering work of theatrical reportage and a powerful stage event.” —Time.
In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming was found tied to a barbed wire fence in the town of Laramie, Wyoming. His murder — a hate crime, where he was targeted for being gay — brought international attention to hate crime legislation, inspired legislation across the United States at the state and federal level.
This LGBTQ+ History Month, the Pembroke Players & the Cambridge Union Society present The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project. In this seminal work of verbatim theatre, Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project draw on hundreds of interviews with Laramie residents, news reports, and journal entries, collated over a year and a half, exploring the impact of Matthew’s death in Laramie.
The Laramie Project explores the depths to which humanity can sink — and remains as important as ever to this day.
CAST
Jaysol Doy
Jacob Mellor
Maya Ankaa
Jess Thomas
Betty Blythe
Poppy O’Hara
Aryan Misra
Keyna Wilcox
Krystyna Lazaro
Emma Lewis
Saturday 15th February & Sunday 16th February • 7pm
Tickets at https://buytickets.at/cambridgeunion/1531228
Wednesday 5th March • 5pm Panel
Combatting Violence Against Women and Girls
In July, police warned that violence against women and girls had grown into a national emergency – reporting that at least one in every 12 women in England and Wales is a victim of VAWG each year. As violently misogynistic online influencers – what is commonly referred to as the ‘manosphere’ – gain steam among young men and teenagers, hopes of these figures decreasing has begun to dwindle. In this panel, we’re joined by representatives from some of Britain’s leading campaign groups against rape culture to discuss how to fight this epidemic, and how to cut it off at its roots.
PANELISTS
Phoebe Nicholson-Pallett
Phoebe Nicholson-Pallett has a decade’s experience working in the Violence Against Women and Girls sector. This includes both delivering frontline support services to female survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as well as conducting primary and secondary policy research in this area. Phoebe currently works as Senior Research and Policy Officer at Women’s Aid Federation of England, who in 2023 published far-reaching report, Influencers and attitudes, to ensure an evidence base for the design of education about relationships for children and young people (CYP). The findings of this report showed a direct correlation between potentially harmful social media content and unhealthy perceptions of, and attitudes towards, relationships.
Dawn Dines
Dawn Dines has been campaigning against spiking for 20 years. Dawn is passionate about empowering young people to keep themselves safe, by running educational workshops on alcohol & drug awareness, knife crime & anti-social behaviour cyber bullying and internet safety. She has also worked with local authorities, supporting children in care and in secure units. She is the CEO and founder of StopTopps and Stamp Out Spiking.
Emma Armstrong
Emma Armstrong is the CEO of I Choose Freedom, a charity that provides a path to freedom and refuge to survivors fleeing domestic abuse. Emma is a survivor herself and was recently asked to take part in the ITV documentary Her Majesty The Queen Behind Closed Doors. Emma is passionate about raising awareness of the issues of domestic abuse and creates and delivers training to challenge and change outdated views on the subject.
Chris Green
Chrs Green is the founder of White Ribbon (UK) and the co-founder of Male Allies Challenging Sexism. From 2005 to 2008, he was appointed to be a member of the Council of Europe Task Force to combt Violence against Women which formulated and obtained funding to create the Istanbul Convention, now ratified by 26 European countries. Chris jas worked with more than 20 different womens organisations.
Monday 10th March • 6pm
Palestine and the UK with the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies
This collaboration aims for a respectful, intelligent and nuanced dialogue on Palestine and Middle Eastern Peace. Hear from Dr Makram Khoury-Machool, Clare Short and Afif Safiehacademics, experts and diplomats who have seen the evolution of the conflict over the decade. In particular, many of these figures have seen the changing face of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the setbacks and reverses in the peace process- and we aim to foster a conversation about how to foster peaceful solutions amidst such enormous violence and conflict.
PANELISTS
Clare Short
Clare Short is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to 2003. Prior to her parliamentary career, Clare worked as a civil servant at the Home Office where she worked within the Criminal and Immigration Departments and as part the Urban Deprivation Unit. During this period she also worked as director of both Youth Aid and All Faiths for One Race which focused on youth unemployment and combatting racism in Birmingham. Clare resigned from the Government in 2003 in opposition to the Iraq War.
Afif Safieh
Afif Safieh is a Palestinian diplomat. He has served as a Palestinian delegate to the Netherlands (1987–1990), to the United Kingdom (1990–2005), the Holy See, Vatican (1995–2005), and in Washington, D.C. as the head of the PLO mission (2005–2008). He was most recently the Palestinian ambassador to the Russian Federation. He also was deputy director of the PLO Observer Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Makram Khoury-Machool
Makram Khoury-Machool is a Palestinian-British academician specializing in International Relations and Political Communication, and the director of the European Centre for the study of Extremism in Cambridge, UK.
A Fireside Chat with
Dr ally louKs Academic in English Literature
Dr. Ally Louks is a supervisor in English Literature at the University of Cambridge. Her work is situated in the interdisciplinary field of Sensory Studies, but her focus is on smell, culture, and literature. Her PhD thesis, ‘Olfactory Ethics: the Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose’ went viral online in December 2024, angering misogynists and antiintellectuals, but since sparking widespread conversation about the intersections between smell, ethics, and identity.
Her thesis studies how certain authors of the past century use smell in literature to indicate social hostilities, such as prejudice and exploitation. It also connects this to our real-world understanding of the role of smell in society. She is currently working to turn her PhD thesis into a literary monograph and a trade non-fiction book. The post-doctoral project she is developing, ‘Cultures of Olfactory Dysfunction’, examines the emotional, cognitive, and ecological implications of smell disorders and the disproportionate impact of olfactory dysfunction on marginalised groups due to anthropogenic pollution.
She is invested in bringing academic work within Literary Studies, Sensory Studies, and the Humanities more broadly, to public audiences through social media, broadcasting, and public writing.
Friday 21st March • 6pm
getting involveD workShoPS
Organised by the Equalities Subcommittee
Join us for regular workshops on getting involved in the Union -from committees, to public speaking, to debating! We’ll be running workshops starting from the 30th of January at 6pm before each debate. Keep your eyes on our social media for more details!
Socials
Town v Gown
Cocktail Making Classes
St Patrick’s Day with CU Irish Society
Comedy Special with Fats Timbo
The Comedy Debate
Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show
Puppy Therapy events
A Message
from the Social Events Officer
I’m honoured to present Lent 2025’s social events! I’m beyond excited to invite you all to some of the most interesting events of the year. While the union is a free speech society, this freedom of speech should not just be restricted to debates or speaker events. Everyone should have the creative freedom to express themselves, however they want! This term, we have a really fun line-up and there’s certainly something for everyone!
Debates aren’t the only way to beat your opponents; our first event is the annual Town vs. Gown Fight Night on February 2nd. It’ll be a really entertaining night so I encourage you to get your tickets ASAP. Also returning to the Union, we have our usual sell-out Cocktail Making Classes with our Orator staff, where you can learn to make (and drink) your favourite cocktails.
I’m super excited to present a return to the Comedy Debate. We’ll debating a much discussed topic: “This House Would Go On Reality TV”. Joining us will be some famous experts on reality TV, from The Apprentice, Celebs Go Dating, Britain’s Got Talent, The Traitors, and of course Love Island. This won’t be one to miss! A special shout out has to go out to the Debates officer, Jess, for all of her help in making this incredible event a reality.
If Lent Term is getting you down, we have Puppy Therapy in week 4. And if the week 5 blues are getting you down, cheer yourself up at our Fats Timbo Comedy Special. How many times can you see a comedian during term-time?
More fun events include the Charity Fashion Show and a St. Patrick’s Day social with Irish Soc. You won’t want to miss these so make sure to get a ticket before we sell out!
I’d like to thank my subcommittee for all of their help in organising these fun events for you all! I want to extend my gratitude to the rest of the Lent 2025 team for all their support and hard work behind the scenes. I would also like to send a special thank you to Ed, your unwavering support behind the scenes is something I will never take for granted.
There’s really an event for everybody and I hope you join us this term!
Ben Davison | Homerton College Social Events Officer, Lent 2025
A Comedy Special
with
fats timbo Stand-Up Comedian
Fats Timbo is a creator, comedian and educator who has risen to prominence with her snappy sketches, quick wit and advocacy. She pulls no punches in her comedy, confidently and shamelessly finding fun in stories of her own life, and the world around her.
Fats, though, is as comfortable being serious as she is being silly, and she uses her platform to educate people on questions around disability, and open conversations about the many shapes that human bodies and minds can take.
She has over 3 million followers on her social channels, and a growing presence on our television screens after taking presenting roles with Channel 4 for the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Celebrity Gogglebox and BBC’s Laugh Lessons, along with participating in Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer, BBC’s Celebrity Mastermind and The Apprentice: You’re Fired. Fats Timbo hosts her own stand-up comedy night “Fats & Friends”.
Fats hosts some of the biggest up-and-coming digital comedians as they take their first steps into live stand-up. Each one we have produced with Fats has been a resounding success and completely sold out!
Monday 24th February • 6pm
S T A N D I N G
C O M M I T T E E
President
Sammy McDonald | St John’s
Treasurer
Alesia Laçi | Homerton
Executive Officer
Jessica Spearman | Murray Edwards
Equalities Officer
Christopher Lorde | Christ’s
Comp. Deb. Officer
James Cater | Gonville & Caius
Vice President
Leonas Pausch | Homerton
Communications Officer
Esha Patel | Murray Edwards
Ivan Alexei Ampiah | Downing
Social Events Officer
Ben Davison | Homerton
Comp Deb. Officer
Joshua Low | Magdalene
O F F I C E R - E L E C T S & D E S I G N A T E S
President-Elect
Anoushka Kale | Sidney Sussex
Treasurer-Designate
Joshua Dargan | Homerton
Vice President-Designate
Roberta Rennie | Sidney Sussex
Communications Officer-Designate
Alexandra Defterios | Robinson
Executive Officer-Elect Speakers Officer Speakers Officer-Elect
Jack Peters | Gonville & Caius
Equalities Officer-Elect
Madeleine Matthews | Jesus
Aliya Adebowale | Trinity
Social Events Officer-Elect
Innes Morgan | Churchill
Image Credits: Nordin Ćatić & Christopher Lorde
Secretary
F U L L
C O M M I T T E E
S E N I O R M E M B E R S
Events Management Department
Head: James Hogben | Queens’
Deputy: Emily Richmond | Peterhouse
Adam Herman | Downing
Zhang Chenxi | St Catharine’s
Cat Smyly | Emmanuel
Alex Mitchell | Queens’
Srija Devinani | St Catharine’s
Pollyanna Greene-Wright | Girton
Bernhard Beran | Christ’s
Roberto Lorente Gomez | Anglia Ruskin
Sára Dóczi | Murray Edwards
Alexander Corbould | Peterhouse
Franci Tafilaj | King’s
Min Sittman | St John’s
Heemie Comrie | St John’s
Tash Doherty | Newnham
Jacob Watts | Corpus Christi
Publicity Department
Head: Eleanor Voak | Selwyn
Deputy: Joanne Yau | Lucy Cavendish
Vigna Grace | Homerton
Chloé Hawryluk | St Edmund’s
William Lloyd | Clare Hall
Harriet Crust | King’s
Christina Huang | Christ’s
Jaipreet Lully | Murray Edwards
Abisayo Abidoya | Lucy Cavendish
Welfare
Ali Eren Talan | Gonville & Caius
Haris Khan | Gonville & Caius
Roisin Carey | Peterhouse
Membership
& Alumni
Librarians
Guest Liaison Department
Head: Orla Hunt | Homerton
Senior: Shifra Moriarty | Girton
Senior: Eric Zalcman | Homerton
Olivia Arney | St John’s
Theo Langslow | St John’s
Luca Zislin | Selwyn
James He | Magdalene
Joshua Dargan | Homerton
Guy Tregear | Selwyn
Sofia Sanz-Kimura | St Edmund’s
Jasper Burnside | St John’s
Niamh Walters | Murray Edwards
Sadia Uddin | Sidney Sussex
Tilly Middlehurst | Fitzwilliam
Harri Kandel | Gonville & Caius
Jessica Sambrook | Corpus Christi
Joe Hesketh | Fitzwilliam
Audio Visual Department
Head: Oscar Beechey-Newman | St Catharine’s
Senior: Seyan Dattani | Wolfson
Francisc Vladovici Poplauschi | Girton
Faron Smith | Selwyn
Access & Outreach
Prisha Jindal | Lucy Cavendish
Aishwarya Khadka | Clare
Photography
Head: Nordin Catic | St John’s
William Blakesley-Herbert
Timothy Lambden | Girton
Flo Tawns
Sid Fenton | Selwyn
Katie Marshalll | Newnham
Max Eshelby | Clare
Lily-Grace Williams | Girton
S U B - C O M M I T T E E S
Debates Sub-Committee
Aliya Adebowale | Trinity
Catherine Smyly | Emmanuel
Dilara Talu | Sidney Sussex
Eve Nicholls | Jesus
Heemi Comrie | St John’s
Innes Morgan | Churchill
Isaac James | Wolfson
Jasper Burnside | St John’s
Jonathan Marrow | Clare
Joshua Dargan | Homerton
Miranda Palazzo | Trinity
Mohammed Ali | Homerton
Pollyanna Greene-Wright | Emmanuel
Seyan Dattani | Wolfson
Sam Pearson | Trinity
Shifra Moriarty | Girton
Zihan Ni | Robinson
Zihan Tian | St John’s
Equalities Sub-Committee
Women & Non-Binary Officers:
Tash Doherty | Newnham
BME Officers:
Zara Hares | Newnham
Ipseh Munson | Christ’s
LGBTQ+ Officers:
Ted Yip | Christ’s
Disablities Officer:
Cynthia Francis | Gonville and Caius
Class Act Officer:
Ismail Benyahia | Christ’s
Speakers Sub-Committee
Alexas Wing-yee Ng | Hughes Hall
Ayako Frellesvig | Pembroke
Eric Zalcman | Homerton
James Nash | Downing
Janice Samuel | Peterhouse
Joe Hill | Emmanuel
Joshua Matthew Lee | Robinson
Madeleine Matthews | Jesus
Martha Cheek | Selwyn
Melania Kovalenko | St Edmund’s
Susan Adelegan | Selwyn
Rujuta Pandit | Selwyn
Sofia Sanz-Kimura | St Edmund’s
Stefan Binkowski | Emmanuel
Suchir Salhan | Gonville & Caius
Tasie Rees | Jesus
Victor Adynec | Churchill
William Jones | Clare
Social Events Sub-Committee
Rookie Rook | St Edmund’s
Scralett Morine | Girton
Syna Jain | Lucy Cavendish
Jonathan Lukomski | Homerton
Chloe Jones | Fitzwilliam
S T A F F
Bursar: John Brown
General Manager: Bart Fajer
Membership Secretary: Alice Reddick
Finance Manager: Patience Tilbury
Finance & Operations Assistant: Ultan Rowan
Finance Assistant: Ella Cairns
Conferencing Events Manager: Ben Keen
Events Administrator: Victor Lisowski
Events Coordinator: Roberta Di’Maggio
Restaurant and Catering Manager: Claire Hey
Deputy Restaurant Manager: Emilija Capaite
Supervisors: Ella Hicks & Pedro Eusebio
Head Chef: Nathan Bush
Sous Chef: Andrew Cymbala
Marketing Manager: Mark Wadey
Senior AV Technician: Chris Izatt
Site Supervisor: Chris Porter
Housekeeping: Lucia Cretu & Monika Gawron
Ministers without portfolio: Sky, Moss & Bruce
T R U S T E E S
Chair: Dr Mohamed El-Erian
Sammy McDonald
Leonas Pausch
Nick Heath FRICS
David Robinson
David Branch
Sarah Nathan
Phillip Harrison
Angela Broughton
Sir Christopher Greenwood KC
Lord Stephen Parkinson
Rachel Green
R E V I E W C O M M I T T E E
Chair: Joshua Blanchard Lewis
Alex Forzani
Nick Wright
Sam Longton
Rachel Tustin
Freddie Dyke
Imran Mateo
Alasdair Donovan
Alycia Leach
Emaan Ullah
Jungmin Seo
President’s Thanks
I’m sure you’re very used to long thank-you sections by now. It’s only after serving for nearly two years in various Union capacities that I fully appreciate just how many thanks need to be given - and how much of a struggle it is to condense them. Truly enormous and countless hours go into the Union, and I have been the recipient of so much kindness and generosity that I cannot hope to fully express my gratitude.
To Jess- You have been a brilliant Debates Officer. You have brought the same passion and enthusiasm you brought as Equalities Officer to produce a fantastic term card of debates from fresh and inspiring angles. In particular, the Union has been made much better by your fearless and tireless feminism over the years. The Union will truly miss you. To Ivan- Your unmistakable presence makes it hard to even imagine anyone else as Speakers Officer! Appointing you to the Debates Subcommittee turned out to be one of the best decisions I made as Debates Officer last year. The sheer range, number and quality of speakers’ events would not have been possible without your relentless determination and passion for the job. Thank you for everything you have done for the Union.
To Ben- You have been fantastic and made the role of Social Events Officer your own. I’m not just referring to your heroics in managing the Winter Ball last term with such skill, but also the range and quality of social events you have organised. You have been a brilliant presence-I still want to steal your adorable cat though! To Chris- You have done an outstanding job as Equalities Officer. I vividly remember sitting in the Union chamber, hearing you - without a hint of hesitation - deliver a rip-roaring address eviscerating the Conservatives over their restrictions on protests. While I will occasionally tease you over being a Texan, I have never met someone with such a genuine passion and belief in the principles of equality and justice. I would also like to thank you for your help with designing the term card over the last three terms.
I’d also like to thank the Appointed Officers, all of whom are outgoing with me at the end of March. It’s worth remembering that each of them has dedicated four terms of service to the Union.
To Esha- the Union will miss very much your assiduous and dedicated service as Communications Officer. When you’re not setting us straight with your consistent advice on communications, I have loved our discussions about World History! To Alesia- you have been an amazing Treasurer. I vividly remember our first conversation about Albanian history nearly two and half years ago (which we are yet to finish)- ever since then, you have been a kind and dedicated presence within the Union. To Katie- you took on an entirely new role as Membership & Alumni Officer and made it your own, organising an entire debate with alumni, which was truly
one of my highlights as a speaker in the Union. You have been one of my best friends, and you have brightened so many days with your humour and unending sweetness and patience..
To Sid- I remember meeting you during my term as Debates Officer. Almost by curse, I always seemed to assign you the most difficult guest, and yet you handled everything that was thrown at you with grace and resilience! I am so thrilled that you are the Union’s Secretary this term. You have been an amazing friend and one of the sweetest, kindest people I have been lucky to meet during my time in Cambridge. To Oliviayou have been such a true friend. You have seen me stressfully messaging people so many times in John’s buttery, and have never failed to bring joy and good humour. Thank you so much for everything you do - not only as a brilliant Guest Liaison but an extraordinary presence in the Union.
To Leonas, the outgoing Vice President- you have brought tireless dedication and enormous effort to the role of Vice President and truly made it your own. Not only have you been an administrative powerhouse in ways that truly boggle my mind over the past year—serving as the linchpin of so many aspects of the Union, from expanding our reciprocal memberships to shepherding safeguarding and constitutional reforms—but you have also been a kind and supportive voice of advice, not just to me but to everyone in the Union. I hope you have more time for German History next year- Roberta is a worthy successor, and she has very large shoes to fill. On behalf of the whole Union, thank you.
To all our amazing orator and union staff- John, Bart, Ella H, Patience, Ben, Claire, Ella, Pedro, Josh, Chris P and Chris I, the whole orator staff to name but a few- thank you for everything you do for us. You support us (often chaotic) students with such good humour and grace, and I’m so grateful for what you do, day in and day out.
To our wonderful Competitive Debating Officers- James and Josh, you are both amazing debaters of the very highest quality. I have loved debating against you (including at the alumni debate James!) and I know you will continue to excel as I leave the institution.
I now would like to thank some former and future officers- after almost two years at the Union, there are quite a few to thank!
To Alex- I am honoured to call myself your friend. You have been an extraordinary force for calm, competence and kindness in your roles at the Union, bringing stoicism and warmth through the craziest of times. Your good-spirited nature has touched so many in the Union, and I truly could not have done any of this without you.
To Penelope- Nobody else has brought your unique mixture of ebullience, cheerfulness, and dedication to the Union. Having successfully overseen two balls last term and organised a roster of brilliant social events, so many in the Union have commented to me how you have changed their perceptions of the Union. I wish you best of luck as you dive into the law grind!
To Nick- I don’t think the Union collectively thanks you enough sometimes. I remember very vividly joining your subcommittee two years ago and being slightly baffled by your choice to pair a suit with shorts. I saw firsthand your courage and resilience in standing up to electoral malpractice against you, and how through your determination, I witnessed how you changed the culture unimaginably and unrecognisably for the better. To Jasper- Thank you for being a brilliant Debates Officer. You were not only a brilliant mentor but also put on one of the best terms in living memory. Since then, you have shown me so much personal kindness, and I am truly grateful for everything you have done. I wish you the best of luck as you enter the torrid world of political think tanks!
To Felix- You have been an unmistakable force for good in the Union. I know firsthand that Union campaigns are not easy, but I deeply appreciate the kindness and integrity with which you conducted yours, which is a real testament to the strength of your character. I’m absolutely sure that you will go on to be a force for social justice and equality wherever you go in the future.
To Jack- While I will no doubt continue to debate you late into the night about your political beliefs, you have been a true friend over the past few terms, helping me even when I know it may not have seemed like the safest bet! I have full confidence that you will put on a brilliant term of debates. To Aliya- I’m still getting used to the fact that we’ve had our last subcommittee together! As perhaps one of the most diligent emailers in the entire Union, I know you will bring your joie de vivre to your term as Speakers Officer.
To Innes and Maddie- Whilst I have not known you for as long, both of you have been so kind to me. (Innes, your willingness to endure a cold queue is legendary!) I’m so excited to see what you both bring next term. To Maya- your drawings are displayed here. They are bloody brilliant and incredibly creative- thank you so much for stepping in!
To Anoushka- I truly cannot think of a better successor. We have served together at the Union since our election in October 2023 and I have witnessed firsthand how you have changed the Union for the better - bringing your relentless optimism and good heart to change the culture of the Union. You have been a true and amazing friend to me through the best of times and the worst. I truly cannot think of a better person to hand over to next term. Enjoy it- it is so thoroughly well deserved.
I would also like to thank the many friends and family outside the Union who have put up with my nonsense for nearly two years now!
Firstly, to my friends of Conservative persuasion, including but not limited to Toby, Zoe, Jeff, Tom and Daniel - even though we robustly disagree politically, all of you have been such amazing friends to me,from our debates at political societies to viewing Federal Hall in New York. I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you (and cheekily wish you good luck, given the state of the Conservative Party!)- you have been true friends. Likewise, with CULA; Helena, Emma, and Sarah to name just a few, you have put up with my rants about the Liberal Democrats for far, far too long, but have been so lovely regardless, giving me some of the best nights of debates I cherish in Cambridge.
To all my friends in the Labour Club, including but not limited to Olivia, Magnus, Oscar, Kerrie, Keane, Zach, Sam and Benthank you for everything. You have believed in my vision that the Union can be a progressive force for good, even when it involves bugging you endlessly and ranting about the Union while canvassing. To Ben- you have been such an amazing confidant and friend, from dunking me in a completely freezing Christ’s pool to de-stress me during the campaign to endlessly discussing Labour politics well into the night. Good luck in everything you do- I know whatever path you take, the future will be bright.
To my friends- Gabrielle, I would not have run for debates if you hadn’t given me the crazy idea all the way back in 2022! To Oliver, I’m not sure what I’ll do next year without my weekly argument about Hobbes. Thank you for being such an amazing, kind and patient friend. To Ben Mays- still miss you as Deputy Head of EM even now. I can’t wait to see how far you go in the future. To James and Chang- you have put up with way too many rants from me about the Union over the years. You have been so endlessly patient and kind to me (even if it means annoying your neighbours by making tea at one in the morning). I truly mean it when I say I wish you the very, very best for the future.
To Oscar- I can’t really believe that I’ve known you for over eight years now (not that you have changed very much since then!). Not only have you been an amazing friend to me all that time, but you have been the best Head of AV in the history of the Union, somehow magically balancing being an incredible medic with running Union AV - now accompanied by Seyan, who has brought the same boundless enthusiasm and dedication to the team.
To my family - thank you so much for supporting me (even if, understandably, you are still confused about how the Union works), In particular, thank you to my sister, Louisa, who has so kindly drawn the cover for this term card- a typically thoughtful gesture from an amazing sister! Thank you to all the members who put their trust in me twice. Everything I do, I do for you, to repay your trust and to ensure power in the Union belongs not to any faction but to you, the members.
And finally, Matthew- you are my world. I love you.
Yours as always,
Sammy McDonald | St John’s President, Lent 2025
Inspiring, Giving, Sharing.
AstraZeneca supporting the Cambridgeshire community in many ways.
Over 4,500 employees in Cambridge
Our employees based in Cambridge offer their time, expertise and enthusiasm to the community— both within the city of Cambridge and beyond. Wherever possible, we work on collaborative, sustainable solutions to common local challenges. One way in which we do this is the Young Health Programme UK, working with young people with a specific focus on adolescent mental health and emotional wellbeing. Along with our charity partner, Plan International UK, we are working with The Kite Trust, 20Twenty Productions and KICK in Cambridgeshire to support young people aged 10-24 to realise their right to good mental wellbeing.
Over 1,100 Cambridge Volunteers!
So far for 2023, more than 1,100 AstraZeneca UK employees have volunteered to help local charities and community causes in and around Cambridge. This has supported 51 worthy beneficiaries, with more projects planned over the coming months.
Supporting our Cambridge Charity of the Year 2023
In 2023, AstraZeneca is supporting Jimmy’s Night Shelter (Jimmy’s) as our Cambridge Charity of the Year through a programme of fundraising events and volunteering opportunities. Jimmy’s is a community-based charity providing both support and housing to people who are rough sleeping.
We inspire the next generation of scientists
“AstraZeneca’s support for and involvement in the Active Science Programme makes a huge difference to our ability to inspire 800 children across Cambridge each year to take an interest in science through physical activity. Bringing world-class science equipment, provided by AstraZeneca, into local primary schools in Cambridge excites us as much as it does the children we engage with”.
Vicky Neal, Head, Cambridge United Community Trust
Women in science
We collaborate with Cambridge Judge Business School and Lucy Cavendish College in support of our common goals of advancing women in science and business leadership, providing career advice and mentoring.
65 Business Mentors in Cambridge
“Mentoring entrepreneurs outside the company helps us challenge thinking among our colleagues and exposes us to new approaches that can be applied here. In addition to the benefits that mentoring brings to the entrepreneurs and start-ups themselves, our mentors thrive on the energy of the entrepreneurs they work with, and the process helps them think differently about their own work”.
Shaun
Grady, Sr. Vice-President, Business Development
The Cambridge Union Lent 2025 Termcard
Design and assembly by Christopher Lorde and Joanne Yau
Front Cover artwork by Louisa McDonald
Debates illustrations by Maya Sexton
Title Card & Facilities illustrations by Dan Cohn-Sherbok
The Laramie Project artwork by Iris Chapman
Social Events graphics by Esha Patel