Lent Line-up Revealed!

Professor Richard Dawkins, Fabio Capello, Rowan Williams and Pamela Anderson will all descend on the Union this term in what looks to be an exciting and diverse selection of speakers.

After a controversial Michaelmas Term that saw vehement opposition to Julian Assange’s ‘second coming’, Lent Term’s fixtures include a whole host of characters from various spheres of society.

The term kicks off with a timely debate regarding the role that Oxbridge plays in Britain, followed by a talk in the same week from England Rugby International, James Haskell. Also of the sporting profession is former England manager, Fabio Capello, who will speak in week six.

Let’s hope Capello keeps his cool in the Union Chamber

But the line-up also includes a number of saucy speakers who’ll set pulses racing, including sexy Baywatch star Pamela Anderson (also of sex-tape fame) and student favourite Katie Price, who returns to debate the issue of celebrity status.

The lifeguard that broke hearts all around the world…

Some students may even recognise one speaker who is an actor of a different variety: Benedict Garrett, aka Johnny Anglais, star of such adult entertainment classics as ‘European Ethnic Honeyz IV’. The former porn star will discuss whether sex has lost its meaning in modern society, in a debate that will also include legendary nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow.

Other confirmed speakers are Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey fame, BAFTA winning actor Rufus Sewell, and BBC News presenter George Alagiah.

For those of a more serious disposition, this term has no shortage of hard-hitting topical discussions, including what promises to be a fiery debate on the relevance of religion in the 21^st century. Professor Richard Dawkins, world-famous evolutionary biologist and author of the wildly successful The God Delusion, will come up against the man who has been dubbed ‘the Muslim Martin Luther’, Tariq Ramadan. They will be joined by Rowan Williams, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury and incoming Master of Magdalene College.

The highlight from a political point of view will undoubtedly be the term’s final debate, “This House Believes New Labour Ruined Britain.” Right-wing Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens will be pitted against Andy Burnham MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown. Other speakers at this debate will include MPs Andrew Mitchell, Hazel Blears and John Redwood.

Hitchens has been described as ‘one of those manic preachers who have been shouting so long that they can no longer hear any voice apart from their own,’ while Burnham recently proposed the idea that MPs might want to think about banning Frosties. The Tab expects this one to be a particularly fierce encounter.

The Union have also managed to bag the world-famous magician David Blaine, whose street magic and feats of endurance have seen him stun spectators all around the globe.

Ben Kentish, the President of the Union told The Tab:

“We’re really happy with the Lent line-up and I hope Union members will be too. We’ve tried to put together a varied range of speakers, from stars of stage and screen to political heavyweights and world-famous academics. We’ve also taken on board feedback from members and booked speakers in fields, such as science and sport, that might have been a bit neglected in the past. As usual, we’ve tried to find people who are especially topical at the moment – Andrew Mitchell and Bernard Hogan-Howe have hardly been out of the papers recently and James Haskell will be speaking just before the start of the Six Nations. We’re still in discussions with quite a few speakers and hope to confirm more names soon, but I hope members will be happy with what we’ve got so far.”