Top Lads Dominate Union Lineup

This term’s Union line up features a roster of some of the best blokes around, The Tab can reveal.

Top lads Sir Roger Moore, Al Murray and Jeremy Paxman are among Michaelmas’s guest speakers. They share the term card with Vince Cable, Ian Pasley and Saddam Hussain’s lawyer.

Roger Moore, no stranger to the black tie favoured by Union speakers, was voted ‘Best Bond’ in an Academy Awards poll, and is the longest-serving actor to play 007.

  

Top lads: Moore, Murray and Paxman

Also appearing is Al Murray, best known for his sometimes-abrasive ‘Pub Landlord’ comedy persona. He’s sure to raise laughs and eyebrows in equal measure. His appearance continues a strong comedic tradition at the Union, which has previously hosted talks by Jo Brand, Dara Ó Briain and Omid Djalili.

University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman will also appear at the union. He remains a Cambridge favourite despite knocking Homerton out of the most recent competition for a correct answer he claimed was wrong. Paxman is an alumnus of St Catz, although he recently admitted he failed to make it onto their University Challenge team during his time there.

The Union aren’t pulling their punches on the political front either. Hard-hitting speakers this term include Iranian activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Sherin Ebadi, former First Minister of Northern Ireland Rev. Ian Paisley and Giovanni di Stefano, lawyer to Saddam Hussein.

  

Political figures: Ebadi, Paisley and di Stefano 

Highlights of the debating schedule include Vince Cable, who will take part in the debate: ‘This House Believes there is No Alternative to the Cuts’ and a motion on press responsibility featuring leading Murdoch-prosecutor Charlotte Harris as well as former editor of The Sun and Tab-fan Kelvin MacKenzie.

Union President Calum Macdonald told The Tab: “I hope members enjoy what’s a really varied and topical term. We’ve tried to make sure events are more relevant than ever – whether that’s debating the spending cuts with Vince Cable or the future of the media with one of phone hacking’s most high profile victims.”

Sidney second-year Ami Jones was won over by the new package from the Union, telling The Tab: “There seems to be a good solid variety, and fewer incongruous appearances than last year.

“Definitely sign up if you’re a fresher, you make the value of your money back so quickly and get to see some incredible speakers you would basically otherwise never get to see in the flesh.”

The MIC boys

The news comes hot on the heels of the announcement that the cast of Made In Chelsea will descend in Freshers’ Week to debate the motion ‘This House Would Rather Be In Cambridge Than Chelsea’ against The Footlights.

Check out The Union website and Facebook page for the full Michaelmas termcard.