Lent Term 2026 | The Cambridge Union

2026

“I

have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.

Audre Lorde

Welcome

The storied history of the Cambridge Union can be intimidating when you first walk through the chamber doors; I remember the first time I spoke in the chamber as if it was yesterday (prior to which I had turned my dress shirt translucent with sweat). The Union, from the outside, can look unchanging and rigid – a misconception all too easy to fall victim to. In reality, my time here has been defined by constant and unyielding change, and a willingness to adapt that has ensured this society can continue to be the foremost space for free speech and debate.

One thing, however, has stayed the same. Our commitment to challenging the status quo has held the roof of this building up for the 160 years that we’ve occupied it, and held our society together for the 211 years of our existence. That mission was the reason the University Proctors, in 1817, attempted to suspend debates as a “precaution against political radicalism”. It was because of that mission that James Baldwin spoke in our chamber, to a crowd of 700* and a standing ovation, to decry racial inequality as the Civil Rights Movement raged on on both sides of the Atlantic. And it’s this mission that I hope brings you to the Chamber this term.

*And 60 years on, we more stringently abide by fire safety regulations.

The Union is valuable not just for the opportunity it grants you to speak, not even solely for the platform it gives you to speak the truth, but the chance you, as members, get to speak truth to power. It is most valuable as a tool for progress, when it challenges what we take for granted, and when it grants us the stage to defend what we most ardently believe in. This city’s history -- the Union with it -- is often described as daunting, frightening, and sometimes a combination of the two. But this Lent, let our centuries-old history inspire rather than deter you from joining us for our debates, panels, fireside

Join us on Thursday evenings for our weekly debates, where we debate everything from immortality to international relations. We’ll be joined this term by Andrew Feinstein, a central figure in the Corbyn-Sultana “Your Party” project, to argue that it’s time for a new radical British left. We’ll argue about whether science ought to pursue immortality, have Katie Hopkins and Dr Kehinde Andrews face off on the right to offend, and watch former MI6 officer Christopher Steele debate former Ukrainian ambassador Lord McDonald of Salford on whether we’re in a new Cold War. We ask ourselves whether nationalism has a place in the 21st century, if AI should be allowed to make decisions about human life, and we debate with the Cambridge Footlights on whether we’d date

it. We ask whether western feminism has failed men, whether the concept of British identity is inherently colonial, and will close by asking if conservatism presents today’s biggest threat to free speech.

Join us in the chamber to speak truth to power, and to listen to those who have done it themselves. We’re immensely proud to continue the Holocaust Memorial Lecture for a second year running, with Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke BEM. We welcome actress Jessica Mann, who testified against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. We’ll be joined by former French prime minister Gabriel Attal and former Palestinian president Mohammad Shtayyeh, musicians Tinie Tempah, and Don McLean, and more. And as always, we’re hoping to see many of you during our drinks receptions as winners of our speaker ballot.

Our Equalities offering continues to put you face-to-face with experts, pundits, and advocates to discuss today’s pressing issues. Alongside our panels commemorating International Women’s Day and LGBTQ+ History Month, we’re joined by Jimmy’s Cambridge to discuss fighting homelessness, Pink Week to discuss breast cancer awareness, the ACS for the yearly Motherland Conference, and the Cambridge Centre for Palestine House on the value of Palestine Studies today. Equalities was where I got my first start in the Union, and I hope that this term’s offering can continue remind you all that this is a society for every single one of our members.

When it all gets too much, join us for our social events to blow off some steam. For a second year in a row, we’re happy to be home to the Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show, and we see the return of the Town vs Gown Boxing Match and collaborate with the Pembroke Players for the Union Play. We open term with our Performative Male Competition, and are joined by K-Pop Society and Hip-Hop Society for the return of our “After Dark” series, with a silent disco and open mic night respectively, alongside watch parties, game nights, and more.

The challenges we face today, in Britain and across the globe, make the importance of free speech, debate, and expression as crucial as ever. In the 211 years since our society’s founding, and the 160 years since this building was erected, our mission of liberty has been at the centre of it. Thank you to the immensely large team that has worked to make this term card happen, and thank you to our members -- I hope to see as many of you as possible in the building this Lent.

Eternally yours,

Christopher Lorde | Christ’s President, Lent 2026

President’s

History

On 13 February 1815, a small group of undergraduates founded what would become the Cambridge Union: a place where students could argue openly, test ideas in public, and disagree without fear.

That founding impulse was tested almost immediately. On 24 March 1817, University proctors burst into the Union and shut debates down altogether. The Union returned in March 1821, but only under restrictions, most notably a ban on discussing political matters from the previous twenty years. It was not until 1830 that debating was again permitted without such limits. From the start, then, the Union’s story has been one of insisting on free speech even when that speech proved inconvenient or unpopular.

As the society grew, it also kept moving, from inns to borrowed rooms, until members raised the funds for a permanent home. The foundation stone of the Bridge Street building was laid on 4 June 1864, and the Union officially opened there on 30 October 1866. The chamber quickly became both a training ground for future public figures and a stage where students could test arguments against the scrutiny of a packed house.

But the Union’s history is not only architectural or ceremonial; it is also a history of who gets to speak, and who gets to lead. The Union has often broadened access before the University was ready to do so: Lent 1850 saw the election of the Union’s first Jewish President, six years before Jews were allowed to take their degrees, and Michaelmas 1882 saw the election of the Union’s first ethnic minority President. These milestones matter not as trophies, but as reminders that the promise of free speech is hollow unless the floor is genuinely open.

The twentieth century brought global upheaval and renewed purpose. During World War II, the Union building was commandeered by the RAF, and then struck directly in a bombing raid. On

28 July 1942, the Union was hit by Luftwaffe bombs and three people were killed. Yet even after physical damage, the society rebuilt, because the Union has never been defined by bricks alone, but the arguments that happen inside them.

The post-war years saw the Union’s voice reach beyond Cambridge. On Armistice Day 1947, the Union hosted the first university debate broadcast live, aired on the BBC Third Programme. Whether in the chamber or over the airwaves, the principle was the same: public argument, made accountable to an audience.

Few parts of the Union’s history show change more clearly than the story of women speaking and leading. On 4 November 1963, the Union voted to admit women by a vote of 499 to 180. Then, in 1967, history was made when Baroness Mallalieu became the Union’s first female President, a milestone that still defines the society’s modern life. Her presidency did not simply add a new name to the records; it widened what generations to come could imagine themselves doing here. This year, she returned to the chamber in Michaelmas for our 210th Anniversary Debate, linking that breakthrough moment to the Union today, and proving again that Union history is not sealed in an archive. Instead, it comes back into the room whenever former presidents, old members, and new students meet across the dispatch box.

As we enter Lent 2026, now almost 211 years after that February night in 1815, the Union’s history reads less like a monument and more like an invitation. Each generation inherits the same simple challenge: to defend the freedom to disagree, to put the hardest questions on the table, and to keep the chamber worthy of the tradition it claims.

Heemie Comrie | St John’s Vice President-Designate, 2026-27

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 despatch 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.

Check our social media and members email for more details about applying for subcommittee - applications close on Friday 23rd January at 11:59pm. 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!

You can find more information on how to run for elections by heading to our membership page, at membership.cus.org. Under the ‘Get Involved’ section, you can find information on the responsibilities of Standing Committee roles, the election process, and the results of past elections.

We look forward to welcoming you to the building!

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.

Additionally, members of the Union may bring a bona fide guest, for a fee of £25.00. Guests must not be eligible for Union membership in their own right (i.e., students of Cambridge or Anglia Ruskin University cannot be admitted as guests).

If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns regarding access at the Union, please feel free to contact your access officers, Erin, Lily, and Alexander. 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. There is access to step free lavatories via the Orator entrance and by the staircase by the Chamber.

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 wheelchair users 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 at the start of each academic year.

Welfare

Your Welfare Officers

Katy Derby

Louise Cavanagh

We will be running regular welfare events, 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 complaints, 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

Members’ Room

Debating Chamber

The FairfaxRhodes Reading Room

Dining Room

The Orator

The Keynes Library

Competitive Debating

From Your Competitive Debating Officers

Anthony Gong Olivia Arbour

Argumentation is, and always will be, a crucial part of the world around us. In our homes, in our communities, and in our governments, debates happen constantly, and all participants of whichever social theatre is presently relevant are called on to express their ideas and support their views and take a stand for what they believe in. Name an issue, and people will show you that it’s possible to debate it.

If the world is a constant battleground of arguments, then, why don’t we more often seek to sharpen our weapons and hone our minds to better win the battle? Especially when those battles are about fundamental issues like identity, governance, and defending the ways we live and think? We think the answer is simply that people forget that to argue is a skill at all.

This Lent, join us at training to improve your ability to fight for your opinions. Sharpen your wits by competing against the smartest debaters from other universities from across Europe and the world. Bring critical thinking to the community by helping us run Cambridge Schools

Regionals across Europe. Finally, take the chance to prove your argumentative excellence by trialing to represent Cambridge at the European Debating Championships, held this year in the Netherlands.

We’d like to thank our wonderful organizing committee for helping us put together our term, and for Standing Committee’s welcoming support.

We look forward to seeing you at trainings, tournaments, and events throughout the year, and we encourage you to argue with us all you want.

Anthony Gong | Downing Competitive Debating Officer, Lent 2026

Olivia Arbour | Christ’s Competitive Debating Officer, Lent 2026

RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIPS

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.

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.

Crepe Affair

30% discount on Thursday, 15% during the week

Wilde Cambridge

25% off until April

Ryder and Amies

15% off online items, excluding gown/hire/blues blazers/academic dress

University Arms Hotel

20% off all bookings. More info available at the cus.org Members’ Area.

Orator

20% off for Union members

Scudamore’s Punting

30% off self-guided punts, 15% off guided tours

Jack’s

Gelato

20% off, exclusively at the All Saints’ Passage location.

Cambridge Rowing Experience

20% off on all experience days booked online, code shared via email.

18th February

1-2:30pm (Schools)

6-7:30pm (Public)

The Chamber, celebrating 61 years of Baldwin v Buckley

20% off for Union members.

Debates

This House Believes The Time Has Come For A Radical British Left

This House Believes Science Should Pursue Immortality

This House Believes Nationalism Has No Place in the 21st Century

This House Believes in the Right to Offend

This House Believes AI Should Be Allowed To Make Decisions About Human Life

This House Believes Western Feminism Has Failed Men

This House Believes We Are In A New Cold War

This House Believes British Identity is Inherently Colonial

This House Believes The Right Wing Is Today’s Biggest Threat to Free Expression

This House Would Date an AI Program

This House Would Ignore University Rankings

This House Would Abolish Colleges

From Your Debates Officer

Pollyanna Greene-Wright

“May you live in interesting times” is often said to be one of the most ominous wishes of the English language. However, as true as that may be, the times we live in (although turbulent to say the least) have provided excellent inspiration for the direction I wanted to take debates in as your Officer for Lent - namely, radical, essential, and engaging.

When designing these motions, I wanted to ensure that this term we explored fresh, cutting edge ideas that made our membership think twice. There’s a huge range of exciting debates to get stuck into this Lent, like watching the likes of Annabelle Routledge, VP for Concerned Women for America, and Monte Madder, an ex-Christian nationalist turned left-wing influencer battle it out on the topic of Western Feminism. Or perhaps you would prefer to see a Chinese diplomat argue alongside a former MI6 intelligence officer about the prospect of a new Cold War? How about motions exploring the future of the far left in Britain, or the role of Nationalism in the modern day? For our more STEM minded friends, I am proud to say we have some long overdue motions designed to catch your fancy, ranging from the future role of AI, to the merits of listening to biohackers.

When I was elected to this role in Easter, I ran on the platform that the Union ought to be a marketplace for all ideas to be presented, so I hope in viewing this term’s debates, every member truly feels like there’s something for them.

Of course, this term would not have been possible without the work of my subcommittee; You have all been a wonderful bunch of absolute troopers, tirelessly sending out invites and pitching ideas for speakers. Debates at the Union thrive off of

membership contribution and collaboration with the Officers, and I can say it’s been a joy to work with such dedicated individuals.

Equal thanks must go out to my fellow Officers, as well as the rest of standing. There are few people out there who truly understand how many late-night emails, last-minute calls, and countless hours of work go into the planning and running of our events. I know that without you working alongside me for this termcard, the whole experience would have been a lot duller.

To Chris, I could not have possibly asked for a better president to help oversee my planning of these debates. It deeply amuses me that although it was widely joked that we disagree on much outside of the Union, we never let that stop us from happily putting together the best term card possible. I am truly proud of all the work we have achieved together.

Finally, If I am allowed a moment to be soppy, I would like to thank my father, who always encouraged me to use my voice despite the fact it meant he had to bear the enormous burden of constantly listening to me express my opinion as a child. Dad, you have always been my biggest supporter, and never allowed me for a moment to think that a young woman from the north of England had any less of a place in this debating chamber. It is because of you I had the courage to get involved in the Union in the first place, and I dedicate my debate term to you for it.

Yours, truly honoured to serve in this role, Pollyanna Greene-Wright | Emmanuel Debates Officer, Lent 2026

Lent Term 2026 The First Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes The Time Has Come for a Radical British Left

As we open the term, the Union interrogates the structural integrity of British politics. While 2025’s local elections signalled a rightward shift that dominated national headlines, the counter-narrative of the radical left remains largely unexplored. In the wake of emergent movements like Your Party, this debate seeks to ask - is the British radical left a spent force of the past, or the inevitable vanguard of a system in search of a new direction?

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Matt Kennard

Andrew Feinstein

Cllr Elliot Tong

Dr Matt Goodwin

Cllr Dr Alan Mendoza

Thursday 22nd January, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Matt Kennard

Matt Kennard is an investigative journalist and the author of three books, including Silent Coup and The Racket. He has worked for the Financial Times in London, Washington and New York.

Andrew Feinstein

Andrew Feinstein is Executive Director of Shadow World Investigations and writer of a number of books and a documentary feature films on the global arms trade. Andrew formerly served under Nelson Mandela in South Africa’s first democratic Parliament. He is currently working on a book entitled “Making a Killing: How the West Profits From Slaughter in Gaza and Yemen” .

Cllr Elliot Tong

Elliot Tong is the leader of the Green Group on Cambridgeshire County Council, as well as a city councillor on Cambridge City Council. He is the Green Party’s spokesperson for Democracy and Citizen Engagement.

Dr Matt Goodwin

Matt Goodwin is an academic, and broadcaster followed by nearly one million people across social media. He has written six books, and has been longlisted for the Orwell Prize. He has advised countless presidents, prime ministers and politicians. He appears regularly in print and broadcast media, and writes one of the largest independent politics newsletters in Europe.

Cllr Dr Alan Mendoza

Alan Mendoza is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Henry Jackson Society, Britain’s leading thinktank and policy force fighting for the principles and alliances which keep societies free. Alan has contributed to newspapers such as The Times, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail, He is Chief Advisor on Global Affairs to Reform UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and is a Councillor for the City of Westminster ward of Abbey Road (St John’s Wood).

Student Speaker

This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

Lent Term 2026

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes Science Should Pursue Immortality As A Priority

Death was once the only certainty. Today, as global life expectancy hits record highs and “Biohacking” influencers dominate our screens, science seems to be treating ageing as a pathology to be cured rather than an inevitability. Is the conquest of mortality the ultimate triumph of reason, or a hubristic detour threatening life’s meaning? We ask if we should transcend our biological limits or embrace the finitude that defines us.

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Dr David Gems

Lucas De Lima Camillo

Dr Stephen Cave

Dr Jonathan Schott

Thursday 29th January, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

FOR THE AYES FOR THE NOES

David Gems Dr Steven Cave

David Gems is a research scientist studying the biology of aging. He is Professor of Biogerontology, and Research Director of the Institute of Healthy Ageing at University College London. His book “On Aging: What Causes it and How it Leads to the Maladies of Old Age” will be published later this year.

Lucas

De Lima Camillo

Lucas Camillo is the machine Learning Advisory Lead at the leading rejuvenation start-up Shift

Bioscience, which develops AI-guided therapies to reverse cellular aging. A graduate of Brown University, Lucas came to Cambridge to pursue a medical degree while working at Shift, where he has published seminal papers in the field

Professor Stephen Cave is Academic Director of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and Co-Director of the Institute for Technology and Humanity at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of Immortality, a New Scientist book of the year. He writes widely about philosophy, technology and society, and also advises governments around the world.

Dr Jonathan Schott

Jonathan Schott is a Professor of Neurology at the Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology. His work focuses on dementia, pre-symptomatic detection, and healthy cognitive ageing. Professor Schott has published over 400 papers and co-edited the Oxford Textbook of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia.

Student Speaker Student Speaker

This could be you!

Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

This could be you!

Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

Lent Term 2026

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

The Third Debate

This House Believes Nationalism Has No Place in the 21st Century

In the age of “America first”, Reform UK, and #RaiseTheColours, the appetite for patriotism for the nation state is clearly on the rise. However, many opponents argue such sentiment is nothing more than a slippery slope return to imperialism and exclusion. This debate seeks to ask whether nationalism is a necessary anchor for democracy and community, or an archaic relic fueling conflict in our interconnected age.

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

The Lord Purvis of Tweed

Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley

Sabby Dhalu

Jonathan Hinder MP

Thursday 5th February, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Lord Jeremy Purvis of Tweed Jonathan Hinder MP

Jeremy is Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. When appointed he was one of the youngest ever Life Peers.He served two terms in Holyrood as MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale. Jeremy currently also serves as the spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International Development for the Liberal Democrats.

Dr Jeff Milley

Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley is an Associate Professor of Political Sociology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. He has lectured at Yale University, Wesleyan University, and Saint Louis University (Madrid). His research interests include comparative nationalisms and democratic theory.

Sabby Dhalu

Sabby Dhalu is Co-Convenor of Stand up to Racism and has been a leading figure in the antiracist movement for 25 years. Dhalu led effective campaigns that defeated the Tommy Robinson street movement in 2018, the English Defence League from 2009-2013 and the British National Party from 2001-2011.

Jonathan Hinder is the Labour MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, in Lancashire. A former Metropolitan Police inspector, he spent a decade in policing, before leaving in 2022 to pursue politics. As a leading member of the Blue Labour group of MPs, he makes the case for a patriotic, socialist politics. He has spoken about the need for Labour to return to its roots as the party of the working class.

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.

Lent Term 2026

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes in the Right to Offend

In an era of “safe spaces,” is there still value in hearing what we do not want to hear? As the boundary between subjective offence and objective harm blurs, and backlash against the “woke” period of the 2010s intensifies, we interrogate the limits of expression. Does a healthy democracy require the right to offend as a prerequisite for truth, or is the cost to human dignity simply too high to pay?

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Katie Hopkins

Nico Perrino

Catherine Liu

Rose Simkins

Kehinde Andrews

Thursday 12th February, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Katie Hopkins Rose Simkins

A former British Army Intelligence Officer, Hopkins shot to fame as the TV Apprentice who fired Lord Sugar. A powerhouse of opinion, Katie was thanked personally by President Trump for her tireless efforts as Chief Columnist at the Daily Mail. Unapologetic in her approach, Katie is banned from South Africa, Australia and all schools in Wales.

Nico Perrino

Nico Perrino is the executive vice president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech advocacy organization based in America. He was co-director and senior producer of Mighty Ira, an award-winning documentary about the life of former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser.

Catherine Liu is Professor of Film and Media Studies at UC Irvine. She has published widely on critical theory, film and art criticism, psychoanalysis and Left historiography. She has appeared on a wide range of podcasts and platforms and is the director and founder of the Palm Springs School for Social Research.

Rose joined Stop Hate UK in January 2006 as Chief Executive and has led the Charity through a significant period of growth and change. Her career started in 1993, where she worked for more than 20 years in Housing Management and Homelessness, and a further 7 years leading a Refugee and Asylum support service.

Professor Kehinde Andrews

Kehinde Andrews is professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University led the establishment of the first Black Studies programme in Europe. He is chair of the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity, and editor in chief of Make it Plain. He is author of books such as the Psychosis of Whiteness: Surviving the Insanity of a Racist World and The New Age of Empire,

Student Speaker

This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

Lent Term 2026 The Fifth Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes

AI Should Be Allowed To Make Decisions About Human Life

Since 2022, AI has evolved from a digital novelty into a critical global dependency. As algorithms shift from information sharing to medical triage and autonomous defence, we face a moral precipice. Can non-human intelligence provide objective precision in life-and-death stakes, or is the power over human life a responsibility that must never be outsourced to an algorithm?

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Dr Henry Shevlin

Dr Fazl Barez

Allison Gardiner MP

Demetrius Floudas

Thursday 19th February, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Dr Henry Shevlin

Dr Henry Shevlin is an AI ethicist and philosopher of cognitive science, and Associate Director of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the big questions about AI and non-human intelligence. He writes and speaks widely on AI consciousness, moral status, and the ethics of our relationships with machines.

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.

Dr Fazl Barez

Fazl Barez is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, leading research on Technical AI Safety, Interpretability, and Governance. He is affiliated with Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and has worked with Anthropic’s Alignment team on research investigating deception in language models.

Allison Gardiner MP

Allison Gardner is the Labour MP for Stokeon-Trent South. She is an expert in AI and Data Ethics with interests in health technology, algorithmic bias, diversity and inclusion. She is an experienced educator and a Senior Research Fellow at Keele University. She is co-founder and director of Women Leading in AI.

Demetrius Floudas

Demetrius Floudas is an AI policy strategist, a geopolitical adviser and a lawyer specialising in AI Governance. He is Visiting Scholar at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and a practicing lawyer. Floudas has provided commentary on matters of Foreign Policy & AI Geopolitics to a number of international outlets.

Lent Term 2026 The Sixth Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes Western Feminism Has Failed Men

From #MeToo to the “tradwife” resurgence, gender dynamics are fracturing. Amidst a deepening men’s mental health crisis, critics argue the push for Western feminism has neglected the male experience, trading universal liberation for a zero-sum game. Has the movement failed to offer men a place in the future, or is this “failure” merely the necessary friction of progress?

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Andrew Reiner

Andrew Feinstein

Monte Madder

Lee Chambers

Thursday 26th February, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Andrew Reiner

Andrew Reiner is a Teaching Professor at Towson University. He has written about masculinity and mental health extensively for the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Boston Globe.

Annabelle Rutledge

Annabelle Rutledge is the Executive Vice President at Concerned Women for America. She also serves as one of the main spokespersons for CWA.

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.

Monte Madder

Monte Madder is a writer, speaker, podcaster, and educator focused on theology, Christian nationalism, and the cultural consequences of religious extremism in the United States.

Lee Chambers is the Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK. After leaving corporate finance, he is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote allyship.

Dr Rachel Alsop

Dr Rachel Alsop is Director of the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York. Rachel is also Co-Lead of SexGen North, a network of gender and sexuality scholars in the north of England.

Linda is best known for her creation of the concept of the Double X Economy, a perspective that describes the global economy of women in both the developed and developing world, and the roles of women not only as consumers, but as investors.

Lent Term 2026 The Seventh Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes We Are In a New Cold War

Exactly eighty years on since Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, the world is again fracturing into rival spheres of influence. As the United States, China, and Russia navigate a landscape of hybrid warfare and economic decoupling, the post-Cold War peace appears to have shattered. Does 2026 mark the return of a bipolar world, or are we facing a far more unpredictable chaos?

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Christopher Steele

Victor Gao

Konstantin Eggert

Lord McDonald of Salford

Dr Ho-fung Hung

Dr Jostein Hauge

Thursday 5th March, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Christopher Steele Lord McDonald of Salford

Born in the Middle East and mainly brought up abroad, Christopher Steele read Social and Political Sciences at Girton. He subsequently worked for the British government as a foreign intelligence officer and diplomat (1987-2009), including in the Moscow and Paris embassies. Chris inadvertently became famous in 2017 when his so-called Trump-Russia Dossier was leaked to the US media.

Victor Gao

Victor Gao is Chair Professor, Soochow University; Guest Professor, Shenzhen Professor; Vice President, CCG; and Chairman, China Energy Security Association. Victor Gao was with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the 1980s, and was English Interpreter for Deng Xiaoping and other top Chinese leaders.

Konstantin

Eggert

Konstantin Eggert Hon MBE is an international journalist and political analyst specialising in Russian politics, foreign and security policy, and global geopolitical competition. Born in Moscow, he is a roving international correspondent and Russia analyst for Deutsche Welle (DW).

Simon McDonald was born and educated in Salford, and read History at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he is now an Honorary Fellow. He was British Ambassador to Israel (2003-2006) and to Germany (2010-15). After leaving the FCO in Autumn 2020, he was appointed a life peer, taking his seat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher in February 2021.

Dr Ho-fung Hung

Ho-fung Hung is the Henry M. and Elizabeth P. Wiesenfeld Professor in Political Economy in the Department of Sociology and the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University. His analysis of global and Chinese political economy has been cited or featured in major media outlets worldwide.

Dr Jostein Hauge

Dr Jostein Hauge is a political economist and an Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. He is also a Fellow of Magdalene College. In addition to his academic research, Jostein works with governments and international organisations.

Lent Term 2026

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes British Identity is Inherently Colonial

At a time of increased debate on immigration, the question of what it means to be British has never been more urgent. Can the Britain of today define itself without the legacies of empire, or does its identity remain fixed in inherently colonial values? Join us for a thought-provoking, lively debate that interrogates Britain’s nationhood and culture.

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Narinder Kaur

Nels Abbey TBC

Robert Tombs

Inaya Folarin Iman

Thursday 12th March, 8pm

Hustings begin at 7:00pm

Narinder Kaur

Narinder Kaur is a British-Indian broadcaster, commentator and author. First rising to fame back in 2001 on Big Brother, she became the first British-Asian person to appear on reality television in the UK. Since then, Narinder has forged a successful career as a broadcaster, commentating on socio-political issues, including racism and violence against women and girls.

Nels Abbey

Nels Abbey is a British-Nigerian writer, media executive and satirist. His personal experiences in the banking and media corporate worlds inspired him to write the 2019 satirical self-help book, Think Like A White Man. His new book, The Hip-Hop MBA: Lessons in Cut-Throat Capitalism From The Moguls of Rap, will be published in 2024.

This speaker will be announced in due course. Keep an eye on our socials and weekly emails!

Robert Tombs

Robert Tombs is emeritus professor of French History, and a Fellow of St John’s. He has published on modern France and Franco-British relations, and is presently working on a history of the Union of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. He has written on historical, political and cultural topics, including in the Spectator, Telegraph, Times and the New Statesman

Inaya Folarin Iman

Inaya Folarin Iman is a broadcast journalist and writer. She has worked as a columnist for various publications, and is a panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze. She is the Founder and Director of The Equiano Project, a forum to promote freedom of speech and open dialogue on the subjects of race, identity and culture. She was the creator and host of The Discussion, TV show on GB News.

Student Speaker

This could be you! Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

Lent Term 2026 The Presidential Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Believes

The Right Wing is Today’s Biggest Threat to Free Expression

Debates about hate speech laws, online safety legislation and campus censorship have recently created fundamental questions about who gets to define acceptable discourse in a democratic society. As these contests shift from campus culture wars to courtrooms, we debate whether today’s primary source of censorship is the political right.

PROPOSITION OPPOSITION

Christopher Lorde

Dr Steven Thrasher

To Be Announced

Thursday 19th March, 8pm

Christopher Lorde

Christopher Lorde is a third-year undergraduate at Christ’s College, reading Human, Social, and Political Sciences and specalising in Sociology. He is also the outgoing President of the Cambridge Union, and both he and his Director of Studies look forward to his eventual reunion with his degree work. You may also know him from... just about every other society in Cambridge.

Dr Steven Thrasher

Dr Steven Thrasher holds the inaugural Daniel H. Renberg Chair of Social Justice in Reporting at Northwestern University. Thrasher’s cultural writing has been widely published by the Guardian, New York Times, Esquire, Village Voice, Literary Hub, Nation, Rolling Stone and New York magazine and has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Polish and Spanish.

This speaker will be announced in due course. Keep an eye on our socials and weekly emails!

This speaker will be announced in due course. Keep an eye on our socials and weekly emails!

Student Speaker Student Speaker

This could be you!

Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

This could be you!

Details for auditions can be found on page 4 or on our social media profiles.

Lent Term 2026 The Comedy Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

This House Would Date An Artificial

Intelligence Program

We’re all tired of dating apps. But not enough of us have considered dating... apps! Join us and the Cambridge Footlights just after Valentines Day to ask whether it’s time to load up ChatGPT and c.ai, rather than Hinge and Tinder, for our fixes of romantic joy.

Monday 16th February, 8pm

Emergency Debate begins at 7:30pm

Lent Term 2026 The Varsity Debates

MOTION FOR DEBATE:

Ignore University Rankings

PROPOSITION PROPOSITION

The Cambridge Union

MOTION FOR DEBATE: This House Would

The Edinburgh Union

Monday 2nd February, 7:30pm, Edinburgh Union

House Would

Abolish All Colleges

OPPOSITION OPPOSITION

The Edinburgh Union

The Cambridge Union

Thursday 22nd January, 8pm

Join us and the newly-formed Edinburgh Union, both here in Cambridge and further north in Edinburgh, to challenge our very ideas of the University. Why rank ourselves against one another? And why stand separated? Do university rankings provide valuable info to future applicants? And do colleges provide sources of community for students? Come find out!

FLOOR SPEECH PRIZES

Post-Debate Food & Drink

Join us in the Orator after each debate on Thursday for chips and themed cocktails!

Speakers

Holocaust Memorial Lecture: Eva Clarke

BEM

Panel: Division and Geopolitics in Cyprus (with CU Cypriot Soc and CULC)

High Commissioner Ng Teck Hean

Tinie Tempah

Panel: The Future of Fashion (with CUCFS)

Jessica Mann

Gabriel Attal

Namal Rajapaksa

Fighting Homelessness in Cambridge (with Jimmy’s Cambridge)

Kunal Shah (with CUFIS)

Don McLean

CCPS Speaker Series: Mohammad Shtayyeh, Naledi Pandor, Baroness Warsi, Mahmoud Mamdani

From Your Speakers Officer Joe Hesketh

My first experience of the Union was a Speaker Event, in my first term. After eventually finding the building and listening to a thoroughly engaging interview, I nervously approached Munya Chawawa, stumbling through a random question about Taskmaster while forcing my friends to take pictures from across the room. In that moment, I knew the Union was exactly the place I wanted to be involved in.

I first joined the team as a Guest Liaison, meeting a range of guests and learning about their backgrounds. As I spent more time in the building, I joined Speakers’ Subcommittee too, where I began to develop my own sense of what the term should look like. But I would never have stayed around for so long was it not for the genuinely uplifting environment this place creates. It’s a community which will stay with me for life, and that I owe to the previous officers.

But I also owe it to our current committee. To Chris, Pollyanna, Jaipreet, Bernard, thank you for your effort and support in creating this term card. Due to your joint kindness, empathy, sharp intellect and competence, we’ve managed to work incredibly smoothly as a group, with the shared goal of bringing some kind of light into what is traditionally a cold, grey term. A very special thanks to Roberta and Freya, who’s very existence keeps the Union afloat – we couldn’t have done any of this without you.

Now, to the term ahead. We’ve gone for range, recognisability and depth of discussion. I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming such a diverse set of speakers and messages into our Chamber this term. A refreshing new set of political figures: to name a few, Gabriel Attal, Namal Rajapaksa and Mohammad Shtayyeh.

A place for cultural legends: Tinie Tempah and Don McLean among them. I am also immensely proud of our lectures to be delivered by Jessica Mann and Eva Clark. That we, as a student body, are able to provide a stage for such pressing issues to be talked about and positively discussed is an amazing thing, and I’m honoured to be a part of it.

If this strikes you with any of the same joy I felt when I met Munya, when I attended my first debate, or when I ended up in the background of a Katie Price Instagram story, I’ll have done my job.

So that’s what our Lent will look like. While I would love to take full credit, that would go against our values as an honest and transparent society. My Speakers’ Subcommittee have shown extraordinary levels of commitment, creativity and enthusiasm.

Despite this being the first year in Cambridge for many, each immediately settled into the role, working ruthlessly to create the best term card possible. It’s a privilege to have worked with such a reliable group of people, both in their devotion to the Union and their choice of snacks.

The Union is about giving people the opportunity to hear from, and interrogate, names who are concerned with issues of the moment. But it’s also a community. I’ve met many amazing people through this place, both the names on the posters and the friends beside me in the audience. So shout out to you.

Enjoy the show.

Joe Hesketh | Fitzwilliam Speakers Officer, Lent 2026

Holocaust Memorial Lecture

Eva Clarke BEM

Eva Clarke was born in April 1945 in Austria. The unique aspect of Eva’s story is that she was born in Mauthausen concentration camp. It is the story of her mother Anka and how she came to birth Eva under some of the worst conditions in human history.

When Anka arrived in Auschwitz, she was carrying with her a dangerous secret. She was pregnant, with Eva. She was unable to tell her husband before he was deported and was hoping to be reunited with him once more in the camp. But Anka never saw her husband again, and later learned that he had been shot in Auschwitz just seven days before the camp was liberated in January 1944.

In April 1945, as allied forces began to encroach on Germany, Anka was moved to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. The journey there took three weeks.

When Anka arrived in Mauthausen, she went into labour. Eva was just 3lbs when she was born, and her mother believed her to be dead. Luckily a doctor who was also a prisoner in the camp was allowed to cut the umbilical cord and help Eva to breath and cry.

Eva has been a friend and supporter of the National Holocaust centre for many years. She continues to tell her mothers incredible story of survival and the story of her own unique and dangerous beginning in life. Her story has challenged many audiences and provides an essential role in Holocaust memorial and education.

Division & Geopolitics in Cyprus Panel

Join us on the last weekend in January for a panel in association with Cambridge University Cypriot Society, exploring the international dimensions and geopolitics of the Cyprus problem. With guests including the current High Commissioner of Cyprus to the UK, this discussion will delve into the enduring legacies of colonialism and division in Cypriot society.

Bambos Charalambous

Charalambos “Bambos” Charalambous (born 1967) is a British Labour politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Southgate and Wood Green, previously Enfield Southgate, since 2017. While in opposition he held a series of shadow ministry posts

Christos Karaolis

Christos Karaolis is President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK. He was elected President of the Federation for the first time in June 2015, having previously served on the Executive Committee and the Secretariat of the Federation for four terms. He was unanimously re-elected for a fifth term in May 2025. He is the first third generation Cypriot elected to that position and the fifth President of the Federation since its establishment.

Ambassador Dr Kyriacos P. Kouros

Kyriacos P. Kouros is currently Ambassador of Cyprus to the UK. Prior to his appointment, High Commissioner Kouros served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. Previously, he served as the Director of the Diplomatic Office of the President of the Republic, in addition to his assignment as National Security Advisor to the President of the Republic and Head of the Intelligence Service.

Friday 30th January, 7pm

Address & Q&A

Saturday 31st January

Ng Teck Hean

High Commissioner of Singapore to the UK

Ng Teck Hean is the current High Commissioner of Singapore to the United Kingdom.

Mr Ng served as First Secretary at the Singapore Embassy in Washington from 1995 to 1998, and Deputy High Commissioner at the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur from 2003 to 2006. He was Director of the Americas Directorate from 2007 to 2010 and the Southeast Asia Directorate from 2010 to 2012. He was appointed Special Assistant to then Minister for Foreign Affairs Professor S Jayakumar from 2001 to 2002.

Mr Ng graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Victoria University of Wellington in 1991. He obtained a Master in International Public Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, United States of America in 2001.

Mr Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2003, the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2013, and the Long Service Medal in 2015. He was conferred the Vietnam Order of Friendship by the President of Vietnam, His Excellency Truong Tan Sang, in 2016 for his contributions to bilateral relations between both countries.

The Future of Fashion Panel

with the Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show

This panel welcomes pioneering figures of British fashion to the Union Chamber, for a thought-provoking deep dive into the future of fashion in an ever-changing world. Whether you’re an experienced fashionista, or new to the catwalk life, this panel is sure to make an excellent accompaniment to the Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show later in Lent.

Sinead Gorey

Sinead Gorey is a South East London–born fashion designer at the forefront of contemporary British womenswear, redefining modern nightlife dressing through a sharp fusion of technical performance elements and elevated partywear. A regular presence at London Fashion Week and a rising voice on the global fashion stage, Sinead Gorey continues to push contemporary culture forward, capturing the spirit of modern nightlife.

Laboni Saha

Laboni Saha is a pro-planet entrepreneur driven by craftsmanship, creativity, long term impact of the fashion & luxury sector on planet Earth and the people involved across supply chains. As an advocate of sustainable production, consumption and marketing of luxury goods, Laboni founded L SAHA a true-luxury womenswear brand in 2014.

Chris Chasseaud

Chris is Creative Director of knitwear brand Malloch’s, championing British manufacturing with focus on timeless pieces, rather than trend-led collections. His background is in Graphic Design, having graduated from Goldsmith’s College, University of London, and has worked in the fashion industry for over a decade, co-founding DENT de MAN in 2012, where he learnt all aspects of the fashion industry.

Kelly Harrington

Kelly is an experienced fashion futurist, trend forecaster, designer, and vintage archivist with a Foundation Diploma from UAL & BA (Hons) in Textile Design from Loughborough University and over two decades of expertise in identifying emerging trends, consumer behaviours, and cultural shifts.

Saturday 7th February, 6pm

Fireside Chat

Tuesday 10th February

Jessica Mann

Actress

Mann was born in October 1985. She is an actress best known for This Isn’t Funny (2015), Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales (2020) and Cavemen (2013).

In 2020, Mann became the fifth accuser to take the witness stand against Harvey Weinstein in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

During the trial, Mann testified that the Hollywood film producer raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in March 2013 and described her relationship with him as “extremely degrading”.

Following Mann’s testimony, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison and began serving his sentence.

Mann is among more than 80 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. The trial was widely seen as a milestone in the #MeToo movement, which gained widespread prominence online in 2017.

Address & Q&A

Friday 20th

February

Gabriel Attal

Former French Prime Minister

Gabriel Attal served as Prime Minister of France from January to September 2024, becoming modern France’s youngest head of government.

He is currently General Secretary of Renaissance, the principal centrist, pro-European party in President Emmanuel Macron’s political family, and leads the Renaissance group in the French National Assembly, where he represents the Hauts-de-Seine constituency.

A graduate of Sciences Po, Attal entered politics after early work in government and parliamentary affairs and was first elected to the National Assembly in 2017. He has held a sequence of senior ministerial positions, serving as Secretary of State for Youth, Government Spokesperson, Minister for Public Action and Accounts, and Minister of National Education and Youth.

During his tenure in national leadership, Attal has been closely associated with high-profile institutional questions of state capacity and republican norms. Most notably, he led the government during the period in which France adopted a constitutional amendment protecting the freedom to access abortion, and major education decisions framed around secularism in state schools.

Why Palestine Studies at Cambridge? Panel

with the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies

Join us and the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies for a panel discussion on the continuing value of Palestine studies in today’s highly heated geopolitical climate.

Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury

Christopher Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury is the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington South and Finsbury from 1983 to 2005 and was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2005. In 1984, he became the first openly gay male British MP and in 2005, the first MP to acknowledge that he is HIV positive. He was the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge from 2015 to 2025.

Rowan Williams

Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet, who served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012. Previously the Archbishop of Wales, Williams was the first Archbishop of Canterbury in modern times not to be appointed from within the Church of England. Having spent much of his earlier career as an academic at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford successively, Williams speaks three languages and reads at least nine.

Stefan Sperl

Professor Stefan Sperl is the Emeritus Professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS. He studied Arabic at Oxford and the American University in Cairo and did his postgraduate research at SOAS.In 1978 he joined UNHCR and held several assignments in the Middle East and Geneva. He returned to SOAS in 1988.

Dr 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, as well as Founding Director of the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies.

Tuesday 24th February, 7pm

Address & Q&A

Friday 27th February

Namal Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan Politician

Namal Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan Politician and member of Parliament. Elected to Parliament in 2010 from the District of Hambantota with the highest vote share, and subsequently re-elected in successive general elections.

In 2020, he became Sri Lanka’s youngest Cabinet Minister with a portfolio of Youth and Sports, Digital Technology and Enterprise Development. In 2024, he was nominated from his party to contest the Presidential Elections.

Currently he serves as the National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, one of Sri Lanka’s main political parties.

Fighting Homelessness in Cambridge Panel

Join us and Jimmy’s Cambridge for a panel on homelessness within our city, exploring how debt perpetuates homelessness and particularly impacts victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This event will further explore what Cambridge students and alumni can do to help solve this widespread issue.

Professor Katherine Brickell

Katherine Brickell is Professor of Urban Studies in the Department of Geography and Associate Dean (Impact & Innovation) for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy at King’s College London.

Katherine’s feminist-oriented research and scholarship on home and domestic life crosscuts urban, social, political, and legal geography. Her books include Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State (2025), Home SOS: Gender, Violence and Survival in Crisis Ordinary Cambodia (2020), The Handbook of Displacement (2020), Geographies of Forced Eviction (2017), and Translocal Geographies (2011).

Natasha Davies

Natasha Davies is the CEO of Jimmy’s Cambridge, one of the most prominent organisations in Cambridge supporting people who have been rough sleeping in the city.

Natasha joined Jimmy’s Cambridge from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) where she held the post of Head of Business Performance and Strategic Services. Natasha started her career in the voluntary sector working on consortia programmes with RSPB, BBC, RNIB and British Red Cross.

She then moved on to work in the NHS on Practice Based Commissioning, and the national Health Visitor Target (under the Cameron Government), before moving over to NHS England in 2012 to support the set-up of the organisation, Board and policy initiatives.

Monday 2nd March

Address & Q&A

Tuesday 3rd March, 6pm

Kunal Shah

Co-CEO of Goldman Sachs

Kunal is co-chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs International (GSI) and global co-head of FICC. He is co-chair of the Partnership Committee, European Management Committee, and EMEA Talent Council, and serves on the Management Committee.

Previously, Kunal was global head of Emerging Markets, and before that, he was a cross-asset proprietary trader in the Global Macro Prop Group from 2004 to 2007. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2004 as an analyst in Interest Rate Products Trading and was named managing director in 2010 and partner in 2014.

Kunal serves as chair of the Leadership Council of EMpower, a global nonprofit focused on marginalized youth in emerging market countries. He also serves on the Bank of England’s Market Participants Group.

Kunal earned a BA in Mathematics from Gonville and Caius College at the University of Cambridge in 2004.

Address & Q&A

Monday 9th March

Don McLean

Folk Singer

Don McLean is a legendary singer-songwriter known for his timeless classics that have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide.

Reaching international fame with his 1971 hit ‘American Pie’ McLean’s career has spanned several decades, and he has left a lasting impact on the music industry and continues to inspire new generations of artists.

McLean’s songs are known for their poetic lyrics and emotional depth, reflecting universal themes of love, loss, and the American experience. His music has a timeless quality that appeals to listeners of all ages, transcending cultural and generational divides. Don McLean’s contributions to the world of music will always be remembered and celebrated, and his songs will continue to be cherished for generations to come.

Fireside Chat

Tuesday 10th March

Tinie Tempah

Musician

Tinie Tempah is an English rapper and singer. Born and raised in London, he created his own entertainment company Disturbing London in 2006, alongside Dumi Oburota. After signing with Parlophone in 2009 and releasing several mixtapes, he rose to fame with the UK numberone singles “Pass Out” and “Written in the Stars” in 2010.

He subsequently released his debut album Disc-Overy in October 2010, which also charted at number one and was certified platinum in 2011. He won two Brit Awards in 2011 for Best British Breakthrough Act and Best British Single. In November 2013, he released his second album, entitled Demonstration. Preceded by top ten singles “Trampoline” and “Children of the Sun”, the album charted at number three and was certified gold by the BPI the next year.

In June 2015, he released “Not Letting Go”, the first single from his third album Youth. This gave Tinie his sixth UK number one, surpassing Dizzee Rascal as the most by any UK rap artist.

On 18 July 2025, Tempah released the single “Eat It Up”, in collaboration with Skepsis. On 22 July 2025, he performed a medley of his hits, plus “Eat it Up”, on ITV1’s dating how Love Island.

Address & Q&A

Mohammad Shtayyeh

Former Prime Minister of Palestine

Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh is a Palestinian politician, academic, and economist who served as the Prime Minister of Palestine from 2019 to 2024. On 26 February 2024, he and his government announced their resignation.

Shtayyeh was named a minister of Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR), a $1.6 billion public investment fund, in 1996. He served as its director of administration and finance from 1994 to 1996.

Shtayyeh was elected to the Fatah Central Committee in 2009, heading the Economic Commission, and the Commission for Political Mobilisation. He has a close relationship with Mahmoud Abbas and has been deeply involved in peace negotiations with Israel, from the 1991 Madrid peace conference where he helped establish negotiating parameters, to the USled talks mediated by John Kerry in 2013-2014. Shtayyeh was twice minister of public works and housing between 2005-2006, and 2008-2010.

with the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies

Address & Q&A

TIME TBC

Naledi Pandor

South African Politician

Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor is a South African politician, educator and academic who served as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation from 2019 until 2024. She also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the African National Congress (ANC) from 1994 to 2024.

She initially became a member of the national cabinet in 2004, following President Thabo Mbeki’s decision to appoint her as Minister of Education.She retained her post in the cabinet of Kgalema Motlanthe. Newly elected President Jacob Zuma named her Minister of Science and Technology in 2009.

She served in the position until her appointment as Minister of Home Affairs in 2012. She returned to the post of Minister of Science and Technology in 2014 and held it until 2018, when she became Minister of Higher Education and Training in the first cabinet of President Cyril Ramaphosa. After the 2019 general election, Pandor was mentioned as a possible candidate for Deputy President of South Africa. She was instead appointed Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. Pandor unsuccessfully stood for re-election to the National Assembly at the 2024 general election.

She has called for Israel to be held accountable for its “destructive actions” in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

with the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies

Address & Q&A TIME TBC

Mahmoud Mamdani

Academic and Political Commentator

Mahmood Mamdani FBA is an Indo-Ugandan anthropologist, academic, and political commentator. He is the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and a professor of anthropology, political science, and African studies at Columbia University.

He also serves as the chancellor of Kampala International University in Uganda, and honorary professor at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town.

He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1974 and specializes in the study of colonialism, anti-colonialism and decolonisation. His works explore the intersection between politics and culture, a comparative study of colonialism since 1452, the history of civil war and genocide in Africa, the Cold War and the War on Terror, the history and theory of human rights, and the politics of knowledge production.

Prior to joining the Columbia faculty, Mamdani was a professor at the University of Dar-esSalaam in Tanzania (1973–1979), Makerere University in Uganda (1980–1993), and the University of Cape Town (1996–1999).

with the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies

Address & Q&A

TIME TBC

Sayeeda Warsi

Member of the House of Lords

Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi, is a British lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords who served as co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012.

She served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 and 2012, then as the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and as the Minister of State for Faith and Communities, until her resignation citing her disagreement with the Government’s policy relating to the Israel–Gaza conflict in August 2014. In September 2024 Baroness Warsi resigned the Whip and left the Conservative Party.

Warsi grew up in a family of Pakistani Muslim immigrants living in West Yorkshire. She later became a solicitor with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

In 2004, she left the CPS to stand, unsuccessfully, for election to the House of Commons. After being raised to the peerage in 2007, Warsi served as Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action. She became the first Muslim to serve as a Cabinet Minister.

with the Cambridge Centre for Palestine Studies

Equalities

Pink Week Panel and Club Night

ACS Motherland Conference

Baldwin & Buckley: The Missing Peace Women’s History Month Panel

LGBTQ+ History Month Panel

This House Believes British Identity is Inherently Colonial

From Your Equalities Officer Jaipreet Lully

When I ran for Equalities Officer back in my first year, I was very green to the inner workings of the Union - upon being elected, I was excited but also full of anticipation. I’m glad to say that working on Standing committee has been one of the most valuable and unforgettable experiences in my time at Cambridge. My role as Equalities Officer has been at times challenging, but always rewarding, as I’ve worked to produce Equalities events that hopefully capture not only the free speech ethos of the Union, but also the interests of our diverse student body.

We’re incredibly excited to be hosting events which tackle themes of trailblazing women in media, queer rights and multiculturalism. In line with this, we will be hosting panels on the future of LGBTQ+ activism, as well as trailblazing women in media to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and Women’s History Month. With a vibrant roster of activists, influencers and journalists, from Lady Phyll, the CoFounder of UK Black Pride to Amber Gill, an author and 2019 Love Island winner, I hope these panels forge thoughtful and comfortable spaces for discussion. I’m proud to have organised the Equalities debate, “This House Believes British identity is inherently Colonial”, a motion particularly pertinent today, as communities across the globe confront questions of reparations and the generational impact of colonialism.

A massive thank you goes out to my subcommittee, for their tireless work through many logistical challenges to bring fresh perspectives to diversity and equality at the Union - your efforts and enthusiasm every week have been invaluable to the making of this term. A special mention to the Lent standing team - to Chris, Joe, Pollyanna, Bernhard, Roberta, Josh and Freya, it’s been a pleasure to work with you all. Whilst I’ll be grateful for the extra sleep on Monday mornings, I’ll miss the thoughtful discussions and lessons I’ve learnt throughout my time on Standing. To Mum, Dad and Marv, I appreciate you entertaining the tumultuous schedule of Standing, from impromptu committee meetings to sending DMs to celebrities at the breakfast table - your faith in me was crucial to kickstarting this experience in the first place.

If you take one thing away from this rambling introduction, then it has to be this - please get involved and make your voice heard! As a state school student from the West Midlands, being able to contribute to the equality initiatives of a society as historical as the Union has been an opportunity I would never have dreamt of before Cambridge. I truly hope that you can find an event or opportunity that speaks to you in our termcard.

Jaipreet Lully | Murray Edwards Equalities Officer, Lent 2026

Speakers

Fighting Breast Cancer Panel

with Cambridge Pink Week

Join us and Cambridge Pink Week for a panel on fighting breast cancer -- both in the scientific field and at home. Speaker information and more will be revealed in due course!

Monday 2nd February, 6pm

TBA Open to All

Pink Week Disco

with Cambridge Pink Week

Wednesday 4th February, 8-11pm More details to follow

The Motherland Conference

with Cambridge ACS

20 Years On, What Comes Next?

Join us in celebrating 20 years of the Cambridge African-Caribbean Society with a series of speakers, panels, and the Motherland Debate.

Friday 6th February

Saturday 7th February

More details to follow.

The Motherland Debate

MOTION FOR DEBATE: This House Believes

Capitalism is an Empty Dream

Saturday 7th February, 8pm

18th February

1-2:30pm (Schools)

6-7:30pm (Public)

The Chamber, celebrating 61 years of Baldwin v Buckley

Who Gets Heard? Panel

Women, Power, and Public Platforms

In an age where media visibility can both aid and constrain, who truly gets heard? This Women’s History Month, the Cambridge Union brings together trailblazing women in media, from influencers to writers, to explore how women navigate power, influence and voice on social media and beyond.

Amber Rose Gill

Amber is a broadcaster, podcaster, best-selling author, DJ and creator with a global reach of over 4 million people. Her debut fiction, Until I Met You, was the first of its kind and became a bestseller. Amber has a highly engaged following, especially on TikTok (a recent video reached 8M views). As a regular entertainment face, Amber has just wrapped a host role on a new entertainment show for Channel 4.

Layla Haidrani

Layla Haidrani is a multi-award winning writer and editor based in London with a specialism in underreported stories. She is a widely published journalist and has had several years of experience working for publications in the UK and the Middle East. She writes for leading publications in the UK and Middle East across print and digital including British VOGUE, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, VICE, i-D, DAZED and Time Out London.

Lorna Andrews

Lorna Andrews, better known to many as Lorna Luxe, is an online content creator and the visionary founder of L.A-S, with a thriving Instagram following of over 1.4 million. Lorna chose to take a leap of faith and dedicate herself entirely to Instagram and blogging, after a career as an air hostess. Now eleven years into her career, Lorna has cultivated an online community of like-minded and highly engaged individuals.

Tobi Kyeremateng

Tobi Kyeremateng is a BAFTA-winning film & TV producer from South London. She has produced work internationally for renowned broadcasters and media such as the BBC, BFI, Channel 4, Film 4, Netflix, NOWNESS, Sky Arts, and more. Her films have screened at acclaimed festivals such as Sundance Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, and S.O.U.L Film Festival.

Wednesday 4th March

From Protest to Platform Panel

LGBTQ+ Voices in a Changing Britain

This LGBTQ+ History month, the Cambridge Union welcomes a timely discussion on how queer visibility, advocacy and representation have evolved - and what challenges may lie ahead. Drawing on our panel’s experience of activism and advocacy, this discussion will address the responsibilities of such visibility and the future of queer representation in Britain and beyond. How can LGBTQ+ voices continue to challenge power in an evolving political landscape?

Lady Phyll

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah is the nucleus of the award-winning celebration and protest that is UK Black Pride. Widely known as Lady Phyll – partly due to her decision to reject an MBE in the New Year’s Honours’ list to protest Britain’s role in formulating anti-LGBTQI+ penal codes across its empire – she was also the executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust, an organisation working to uphold the human rights of LGBTQI+ people around the world.

Simon Blake

Simon Blake is Chief Executive of the LGBTQ+ Charity, Stonewall. He has previously been Chief Executive of the social enterprise Mental Health First Aid England. Simon is deputy chair of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, a non-executive director of Mental Health First Aid International, an Honorary Fellow in Equality, Diversity at the University of East London and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute.

Charlie Craggs

Charlie Craggs is an award-winning trans activist, author and media personality dubbed ‘the voice of a community’ by Vogue, best known for her international campaign Nail Transphobia, her LAMBDA nominated book To My Trans Sisters and her groundbreaking BBC documentary Transitioning Teens. In 2016 Charlie topped the Guardian’s New Radicals list of social innovators in Britain and has gone on to be the recipient of a series of awards. Charlie has fronted global campaigns for brands like The Body Shop, H&M and Selfridges, spoken at the Houses of Parliament, and most recently set up free self defence classes for trans people- Charlie’s Angels.

Wednesday 11th March

Getting InvolvedWorkshops

Organised by the Equalities Subcommittee

Join us for regular workshops on getting involved in the Union -from committees, to public speaking, to debating! Keep your eyes on our social media for more details!

Socials

Town v Gown

Performative Male Competition

Cupid’s Houseparty

Union Play

Union Unplugged

Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show

Academy Awards Night, hosted by Oliver’s Oxford Black Tie Games Night

K-Pop After Dark

Hip-Hop After Dark

From Your Social Events Officer Bernhard Beran

I still remember my first nights at the Union - full of excitement, taking it all in, and quickly learning how everything fits together. What I’ve come to value most since is that the Union is at its best when it feels like a real meeting place: not only for speeches and debates, but for conversation, connection, and shared experiences that stay with you long after the evening ends.

This term, Socials is built around that idea. We’re hosting a programme that’s varied, welcoming, and genuinely memorable - balancing high-energy events with nights that bring people together in a more relaxed setting.

Following their great success last year, we’re delighted to be bringing back three standout events: the boxing event Town v Gown, the Union Play, and the CU Charity Fashion Show. Each became a defining part of the social calendar, and we’re excited to build on what made them such highlights.

Alongside those returning favourites, our other events this term are designed to bring fresh energy to the Union. The Black Tie Games Night will offer a polished evening right at the end of term for you to make back the money you’ve

spent on social events*, while Union Unplugged will provide a more relaxed setting to enjoy great music and good company.

After that, Cupid’s Houseparty will be our take on Valentine’s Day, as promised in my campaign. We’ll also be celebrating properly with the Academy x Union Awards, hosted by Oliver’s Oxford (yes, I know, a guest from the Other Place). And if you’re feeling competitive, I recommend giving it your best shot at the Performative Male Competition.

None of this happens without a great team behind it. Thank you to the Social Events subcommittee for the work, organisation, and commitment that goes into making every event run smoothly. I’m also looking forward to working closely with Standing Committee this term to make this place what it is.

*for legal reasons, this is a joke.

Yours truly,

Bernhard Beran | Christ’s Social Events Officer, Lent 2026

Friday 13th February, 7pm

The Union Play

with the Pembroke Players

Join us and the Pembroke Players for an amazing production in the Union Chamber! More information will soon follow.

21st-22nd February More info soon

Academy Awards Night Sunday 15 March

10pm Entry

Hosted by Oliver’s Oxford

Drink tokens on arrival!

The Cambridge Union presents...

Black Tie Games Night

22nd March

Join us in the Chamber and the Fairfax-Rhodes Room to celebrate the end of term with Churchill Casino, board games, and more!

K-Pop After Dark

Date & Time TBC with CU K-Pop Society

Hip-Hop After Dark

Date & Time TBC

with CU Hip-Hop Society

Joshua Dargan | Homerton

Executive Officer

Pollyanna Greene-Wright | Emmanuel

Equalities Officer

Jaipreet Lully | Murray Edwards

Christopher Lorde | Christ’s

President Vice President

Roberta Rennie | Sidney Sussex

Competitive Debating Officers

Communications Officer

Freya Thompson | Selwyn

Olivia Arbour | Christ’s Anthony Gong | Downing

Speakers Officer

Joe Hesketh | Fitzwilliam

Social Events Officer

Bernhard Beran | Christ’s

President-Elect Vice President-Designate

Jack Peters | Gonville & Caius

Heemie Comrie | St John’s

Treasurer Designate Communications Designate

Jasper Burnside | St John’s

Executive Officer-Elect

Ted Yip | Christ’s

Harriet Crust | King’s

Freddie Bishop | Newnham

Social Events Officer-Elect

Equalities Officer-Designate Speakers Officer-Elect

Ruby Endfield | Queens’

Alexander Corbould | Peterhouse

Image Credits: Nordin Ćatić

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

Secretary

Lily-Grace Williams | Girton

Access & Outreach

Lily Brown | Clare

Erin McCarthy | Downing

Alexander Newman | King’s

Events Management Department

Harry Bancroft | Churchill

Rhea Goel | Lucy Cavendish

Paola Hagen-Zanker | Magdalene

Anusha Hansra | Queens’

Syna Jain | Lucy Cavendish

Sarah Misraoui | Peterhouse

Nika Neely | Peterhouse

Aimee Rosenthal | Queens’

Archie Rowland | Sidney Sussex

Cat Smyly | Emmanuel

Anita Ukaenwe | Lucy Cavendish

Publicity Department

Head: Joshua Delvard | King’s

Deputy: Maebh Carey | Lucy Cavendish

Safina Baker | Homerton

Alison Jackson | Jesus

Zainab Khan | Homerton

Sofie Lewis | Churchill

Giovanni Luigi Lacroix | Christ’s

Benjamin Pearce | Emmanuel

Millie Pugh | Lucy Cavendish

Adharsh Sathish | Christ’s

Navya Sharma Tyagali | King’s

Sophia Stellato | Clare

Vienna Zhang | St John’s

Welfare Officers

Head: Scarlett Parker | St John’s

Louise Cavanagh | Wolfson

Katy Derby | Downing

Membership & Alumni

Seyan Dattani | Wolfson

Librarian’s Committee

Theo Li | St John’s

Isa Sheikh | St Edmund’s

Guest Liaison Department

Head: Anusha Salhan | Newnham

Senior: Layla Birch | Girton

Senior: Ryan Hoffman | Hughes Hall

Ya’Seen Ali | St Catharine’s

Gehhna Arora | Sidney Sussex

Rahim Arshad | Downing

Emily Bang | Robinson

Noumay Barakat | Trinity Hall

Tillie Craven | Trinity

Daniel Djakiodine | Selwyn

Juan José Gómez-Aguirre | Hughes Hall

Naomi Kemp | Queens’

Annika Reff | Hughes Hall

Diti Shah | Trinity Hall

Monesha Talreja | Selwyn

Pruthvirajsinh Zala | Wolfson

Audio Visual Department

Head: Jake Hopkins | Sidney Sussex

Senior: Yusaf Hassan | Magdalene

Senior: Giancarlo Mempouo | Jesus

Jake Hughes | Jesus

Faron Smith | Selwyn

Alex Wang | Fitzwilliam

Photography

Head: Nordin Catic | St John’s

William Blakesley-Herbert

Timothy Lambden | Girton

Flo Tawns

Speakers Sub-Committee

Abby Williams | Fitzwilliam

Aidain Clair | Magdalene

Alison Jackson | Jesus

Amelia Kalecinska | Wolfson

Anna Biller | Trinity Hall

Daena-Paige Morris | Trinity

Elijah Jacobs | Downing

Efe Imoyin-Omene | St Edmund’s

Ethan Lee Yee Chien | Hughes Hall

Freddie Bishop | Newnham

Jonathan Corner | Gonville & Caius

Michael Moertl | Wolfson

Mohammad Sabeeh Ahmad | King’s

Oliver Heritage | Fitzwilliam

Rares Cocilnau | Fitzwilliam

Rye Walker | Homerton

Suren Pahlevan | Emmanuel

Thomas Oldaker | Jesus

Ursula Rowe | Downing

Equalities Sub-Committee

Women and NB Officer: Melina Tsilira | Darwin

Women and NB Officer: Zainab Khan | Homerton

LGBTQ+ Officer: Mia Jessica Sortino |

Lucy Cavendish

BME Officer: Ava Clarke Stevens | Trinity

BME Officer: Ya’Seen Ali | St Catharine’s

Class Act Officer: Aqsa Mahmood | Lucy Cavendish

Class Act Officer: Elijah Denning | Queens’

Disabilities Officer: Juan Jose Gomez-Aguirre |

Hughes Hall

Debate Officer: Lily-Grace Williams | Girton

Debates Sub-Committee

Alexander Corbould | Peterhouse

Annika Reff | Hughes Hall

Anusha Salhan | Hughes Hall

Cat Smyly | Emmanuel

David Burstow | Girton

Eloise Maryam Gharai Twohey | Hughes Hall

Frederick Bower | Girton

Giovanni Luigi Lacroix | Christ’s

Jack Peters | Gonville & Caius

James Woodham | Downing

Jonathan Marrow | Clare

Kaleem Chattha | Fitzwilliam

Luke Dunnet | Selwyn

Oliver Crossland | Girton

Saffron Singh | Clare

Samuel Ginzburg | Hughes Hall

Sebastian Ramirez Feune | Emmanuel

Tara Thyssen | Lucy Cavendish

Ted Yip | Christ’s

Social Events Sub-Committee

Katherine Birditt | Jesus

Malith Gunawardena | Lucy Cavendish

Meridian Monthy | Clare

Nabil Kezbari | Anglia Ruskin

Orla Watson | Murray Edwards

Zerlynde Goik | Girton

Cambridge Schools Convenor: Zihan Tian | St John’s

Cambridge IV Convenor: Rachel Lang | Trinity Hall

Women and Gender Minorities Tournament Convenor: Martha Mckinney-Perry | St John’s

Women and Gender Minorities Tournament Convenor: Iris Lee | Trinity Hall

Training Officer: Sophie Hannigan | St John’s

Freshers’ Representatives: Alice Li | Christ’s

Freshers’ Representative: Elena Rees | Churchill

S T A F F

Bursar & Clerk to the Union: John Brown

General Manager: Bart Fajer

Membership & Building Manager: Laura Tildesley

Finance Manager: Patience Tilbury

Accounts Assistant: Ella Cairns

Conferencing Events Manager: Ben Keen

Events Coordinator: Victor Lisowski

Events Coordinator: Alba Zas Martinez

Restaurant and Catering Manager: Claire Hey

Supervisors: Ella Hicks & Gemma Gant

Head Chef: Nathan Bush

Sous Chef: Andrew Cymbala

Head Barman: Mustafa Tumburi

Head Waiter: Natalie Dubrowski

Marketing Manager: Pedro Sawyer Rodrigues

Senior AV Technician: Chris Izatt

Site Supervisor: Chris Porter

Housekeeping: Lucia Cretu & Monika Gawron

Ministers without portfolio: Sky, Moss, Bruce, and Bonnie

T R U S T E E S

Chair: David Robinson

Christopher Lorde

Ms Roberta Rennie

Rachel Green

Philip Harrison

David Branch

Gillian Tett

Elisabeth Kendall

Graham Virgo

The Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay

Sarah Nathan

Angela Broughton

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

There’s a part of me, as I start this message in a small cafe in North Texas, that refuses to believe any of this is real. There’s a world of people to thank — and when I say world, I mean it somewhat literally — and it’s a gargantuan task even expressing how grateful I am for everybody... especially when I’m this verbose. Please forgive me if there’s only so much room on these two pages. It only makes sense to start by thanking my fellow officers, who’ve put in immense shifts and real elbow grease to make this term as exciting as it will be. This term card wouldn’t have been possible without you all, and I’m glad you are now (for the most part) freed from Google Chat messages at timezonecaused unholy hours of the night.

Roberta - I understood why MVP caught on as your nickname long before I realised it also stood for “Madame Vice President”. Whether it be cabs up to Oakington or long nights in the Chamber, you put in real shifts for the Union time after time, and there’s nobody else I’d rather have as the No. 2 here in this building (and the safer set of hands out of the two of us). It’s only the beginning -- I’m looking forward to the next 8 weeks of dinners, crises, all sorts of institutional admin, and the fun part: placards. Jokes aside, I couldn’t be more grateful for your support through both the challenging and the calm moments.

Freya - You stepped in and stepped up for one of the hardest jobs at one of the hardest times, and I’ve seen you take it all in stride; a skill which even I struggle to have. Thank you immensely for your creative and original ideas -- and for being another graphic designminded person in this building -- and also for being level-headed when I can be... less so.

Josh - or should I say Mr. Osborne himself - you have a charm that’s nearly unparalled in this place. It was maybe our greatest asset when you were handling our most interesting guests, but even greater when telling people they’re actually not allowed to spend our assets. Austerity jokes aside, you’ve taken the many challenges your job faces with true humility, and have put in immense amounts of elbow grease to deliver your best time and time again. It’s been a pleasure to work with you, and I can’t wait to tick our final boxes off of the Treasury to-do list.

Pollyanna - Thank you immensely for the ridiculous amounts of work you’ve put into this termcard. The

Union is not complete without its debates, and your array of them is one to defeat. I too received many, many jokes about how we’d surely butt heads -- or how people would pay to be a fly on the wall in our meetings -- but from music taste to motions, your ability to try new things and insistence on going beyond orthodoxy have made it a pleasure working with you.

Joe - Never have I met a man so happy to receive a spreadsheet, although I guess that changes when it’s a list of concerts in London this term. Jokes aside, your early morning shifts and late night calls demonstrate a true commitment to this place, and you have a Speakers termcard to show for it (not even to mention all the near bags). Your willingness to smile in the face of difficulty, and your ability to remain chill even in the face of crisis is a skill I well and truly envy. Thank you for being an amazing collaborator.

Jaipreet - You’ve been a wonderful Equalities Officer -- and even through you always apologise for asking me questions about the job, your readiness for every challenge has shone through everything you do. Not only are you an immensely hard worker, but you’re someone who cares well and truly about making this society a society for everybody -- a Union for its members. Thank you Jaipreet, for being an amazing Equalities Officer to a former Equalities Officer myself -- and I can’t wait to see your events come to life.

Bernhard - Your array of ideas have always been out of the box, and its been a pleasure to watch you and your committee to bring these to life. This society is not what it is without those crucial moments of relaxation and self-care, and your events termcard is truly slated to provide those. You’ve been thrown into maybe one of the widest ranging jobs on this committee, and have done it amazingly well. Thank you again!

Olivia and Anthony -- you’ve done an amazing job with competitive debating this term and last, and I know that’s going to reflect immensely well in the tournaments that we host this term (as well as our competitive results!). At risk of sounding like an oldhead, Olivia, I remember you matriculating as my college daughter, and Anthony, I remember you asking for advice on getting involved in the society -and seeing you both climb the ranks to Standing

Committee has been a joy to watch and leaves me confident about the Union’s future. When I’m on my way out of this building, I’ll be glad to know that there are safe hands running training still (and Olivia, I’ll take you up on that competitive debating offer some day!).

Lily-Grace “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” Williams -becoming best friends with someone as much of a workaholic as I am has been one hell of a time. And it’s no surprise I met you in the Union. To the incoming secretary, I can already envision the debates over which one of us can handle the work, but I think I’m correct when I say that I and all of your friends are asking you to kick back and relax a bit... but I can’t say much.

To all of our subcommittee members, thank you for the time and effort you’ve also put into this termcard. You’ve sat in this building for hours at a time doing the Sisphyean task of sending emails to the biggest names of today, and your efforts don’t go unsung. To the staff and trustees of the Union, you keep this place afloat. Genuinely. To the trustees -- my one regret is having not asked more of you (and I’m only half joking!). Your support, and all of the advice you’ve offered, has been so immensely valuable, and jokes aside, I couldn’t have asked more. To the staff, you’ve been open to hearing out even the most ambitious of our ideas. John, Bart, Claire, Laura, Patience, Ben Ella, Nat, Emilija, Pedro, Freddie, Pedro, Lili, Alice, Chris, Patience, Ella, Chris, Nathan, Giuliana, Jamie, Jude, and to every staff member that’s had to deal with me since I first entered the Union on matriculation day, thank you. The same to Charlie, Nick, Neha, Alessio, Sammy, Anoushka, and Ivan -- you’ve been the model for what this society should look like, and in many cases your advice and friendship has been irreplaceable. It’s been a pleasure serving with you, and the same goes to Jess, and Ben -- who I had the honour of being elected for the first time with, and to Felix and Katie, who’ve supported from beyond (graduation). To every other past member of Standing I’ve served with, and to Nordin for being here from my very first day, and to every HOD I’ve served under and above, I can’t thank you all enough.

To Faron, thank you immensely for taking on the mantle of termcard designer. I couldn’t choose someone I’d rather pass on the responsibility to, and I’m glad there’s now a second person in the building who knows how to use Adobe InDesign -- cherish that for the one term it lasts! All jokes aside, the late night,

cross-timezone sessions that we’ve spent on this have been worth it.. and I’m looking forward to the 10 patch updates we’ll make later this term!

Ami - I wouldn’t be here without your friendship or your support. Whether it be flicking through colour presets in the Christ’s Fellows Garden for campaign videos or the numerous last-minute packing shifts I’ve brought you on, every moment of our friendship has been a true gem.

Tegan -- thank you for taking on the monumental task of the front cover and title pages of the term card, and for putting so much thought and detail into every aspect of the art. It means the world to be able to work with you on this, and I can’t thank you enough for everything that you’ve done for this. Tina, thank you for picking this up last minute. The artwork you’ve done to represent the debates we’re hosting this term are immensely full of life and energy -- and I couldn’t have picked anybody else to do it. After 41310 digital brush strokes, and 17hr 50m of art work -- it’s had an amazing outcome.

And to my friends in Texas and beyond, most of whom know nothing about the Union outside of my occasional selfies with celebrities, thank you for your emotional support in the best and worst of times. Sabrina, Cain, Eris, Julia, Keera, Rei, Taryn, Quinn, and all of my other friends at home, your company and care has been everything to me.

To my friends in Cambridge - Josie, Anna, Bekah, Jem, Arya, Nach, Maya, all of Fumble FC, George, my fellow Christ’s HSPSers, Ismail, Ruby, Selma, Zheng Wei (in my heart at least), and our late addition Andreas. To Olive, Astrid, Naomi, Elijah, Zerlynde, Irisa, and everybody who I don’t have the space for, thank you and I love you. To my family, both of my wonderful parents, my younger brother William and my love Tian, I couldn’t have done this without you all - you know how much I love and adore you. And a special shout out to my former speech coaches -- Lindsey Petropolous, Tom McCaffrey, Robey Holland, and Reggie Chapman.

To Jack, Heemie, Jasper, Ted, Freddie, Alex, and Ruby -- good luck, you got this! I already know your events will be good enough to drag me back. And to our members, thank you. It’s a true honour.

Yours, forever, Christopher Lorde | Christ’s President, Lent 2026

PROUD PARTNER OF THE CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY

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

With thanks to:

Term Card Design & Assembly

Christopher Lorde & Faron Smith

Cover & Section Artwork

Tegan Yao (@seesalp) Debates Illustrations

Tina Hong (@tunafishfry)

Facilities Illustrations

Dan Cohn-Sherbok