the Durham Union Michaelmas Term 2016 President’s Welcome A warm welcome to Durham for both new and returning students alike. For freshers, this term will represent the opening of a new chapter in your lives. I remember well the mix of emotions that accompany your first few weeks at university. Just remember that everyone is in the same boat and there are far more daunting cities than Durham! Many freshers coming to Durham for the first time will have heard of the Union, others will have not. Whatever your subject and whatever your inter- ests we are your indispensable accompaniment to Durham life. Unique to Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, the Union Society fulfils several different functions. First and foremost we provide students with the opportunity to meet, listen to and engage with a diverse range of public figures. In the past we have hosted speakers from sportsman Jonathan Edwards to scientist Robert Winston to actress Imelda Staunton. We also host debates every Friday night, with celebrity speakers coming up to Durham to debate the pressing issues of the day. In addition we represent the university in competitive student debating and provide the chance for students to hone their skills in the art of debating and public speaking in our weekly debate training sessions. Finally we provide an important university wide social environment, independent of the colleges. We have our very own bar and clubhouse 24 North Bailey, conveniently located next to the cathedral in the centre of Durham. We host regular balls and socials, widely regarded as amongst the best in Durham. With so much on offer, why not sign up for membership today? Over 800 freshers each year choose to do so, making us by far the largest student society in Durham. Membership entitles you to partake in as much or as little of the above as you choose and is a sound investment in your three year university career. In addition we have reciprocal relations with both the Oxford and Cambridge Union and our members enjoy full access to their exciting itinerary of events. Once again, I look forward to welcoming you (back) to Durham. The Union has an office next to the debating chamber, upstairs in the Pemberton Building, next to the café on Palace Green. Myself or our office manager, Sharon, are usually there from 9-5 on weekdays. Any queries, please do not hesitate to come in and have a chat. George Jackson - Michaelmas President 2016 Join at www.dus.org.uk the Durham Union All Durham Students Welcome This House Believes That The Nation State Is An Outdated Concept Proposition Opposition Dr Jasper Heinzen Peter Hitchens Lecturer of Modern His- World renowned author, tory at the University of journalist and broadcaster. York. Columnist for the Mail on Specialises in the history Sunday and winner of the of modern European Orwell Prize for journal- nationalism. ism. Dr Andre Keil General Lord Dannatt Chief of the General Staff Historian of 19th and 2006-2009 (professional 20th century Europe at head of the British Army). Durham University, with Crossbench peer and past a special focus on Britain president of the Durham Union. and Germany. Dr James Koranyi Ben Harris-Quinney Historian of central and Chairman of the Bow eastern European nations Group , a traditionalist con- at Durham University. servative think tank found- ed in 1955. Regular con- Specialises in minority tributor to the website Con- culture and identity. servativeHome Monday Friday 10th 29thOctober, April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Members Only Panel Discussion ’Brexit: The Way Forward’ Remain Leave Dominic Grieve MP Jonathan Arnott MEP Conservative MP for UKIP MEP for North East Beaconsfield and for- England. Candidate in the mer barrister. Attorney 2016 UKIP leadership General 2010-2014 and election and former general current chair of the secretary of the party. Intelligence and Secu- rity Select Committee Freddy Gray Prof. Tatiana Damjanovic Regular columnist and dep- Chair in Economics at uty editor of the Spectator, Durham University. One has written extensively on of 200 leading econo- Brexit and the Trump phe- mists to sign a letter ad- nomenon in the US. Former literary editor of the Ameri- vocating a Remain vote. can Conservative. Lord Purvis Tom Banks Liberal Democrat MSP Campaigns Director at the from 2003-2011. Ele- Taxpayers’ Alliance think vated to the House of tank. Regional director of Vote Leave in Yorkshire Lords in 2013. An ad- and the Humber during the vocate of Devo Plus. referendum campaign. Thursday Friday 13th 29th October, April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Existence of GodMembers Only Members Only This House Has Faith In The Existence Of God Proposition Opposition Prof. Graham Ward Dr Peter Cave Regius Professor of Philosopher and author. Pa- Divinity at Christ tron of the British Humanist Church College, Ox- Association (BHA). Regular ford. Has written ex- BBC Radio presenter and tensively on faith, lan- chair of the Humanist Phi- guage and Christology. losophers’ Group. Prof. Richard Norman Prof. David Wilkinson Vice-President of the British Theologian and regular Humanist Association. contributor to Thought Emeritus Professor of Moral for the Day on BBC Philosophy at the University Radio 4. Principle of St of Kent. Published works include On Humanism and John’s College, Durham The Moral Philosophers. Prof. Simon Oliver Prof. Richard Bartle Van Mildert Professor Writer, professor and pio- of Divinity at Durham neer of multiplayer online gaming and virtual reality University. Specialises gaming. Publications in- in Christian theology clude Designing Virtual and metaphysics. An- Worlds. Patron of the BHA. glican priest. Friday Friday 14th October,29th April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Grammar SchoolsMembers Only Members Only This House Would Allow The Establishment Of New Grammar Schools Proposition Opposition Suzanne Evans Lord Baker As Deputy Chairman of Education Secretary under UKIP 2014-16, Evans Margaret Thatcher 1986- wrote much of the par- 1989. Home Secretary under ty’s 2015 election mani- John Major 1990-1992. festo. Regular panellist on BBC Question Time. Roberta Blackman-Woods Paul Buckland MP Headmaster of the Labour MP for the City of Queen Elizabeth Gram- Durham constituency since mar School, Penrith. It is 2005. Former Shadow Hous- the only grammar in the ing Minister and former member of the Education North East and Cumbria and Skills select committee. William Wragg MP Pat Glass MP Conservative MP for Labour MP for the North Hazel Grove since 2015. West Durham. Appointed Shadow Education Secretary Currently sits on the in June 2016 but resigned parliamentary Education two days later citing a loss Select Committee. of confidence in leader Jere- my Corbyn. Friday Friday 21st October,29th April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Grammar SchoolsMembers Only Members Only This House Believes That Political Correctness Has Stifled Political Debate Proposition Opposi- Lord Kirkhope MEP Prof. Mark Learmonth Conservative MEP for Deputy Dean at the Durham Yorkshire and the Hum- University Business School. ber, deputy chairman of His research interests in- the ECR Group. MP for clude the role of language in reinforcing the masculine Leeds North East 1987- culture of business leader- 1997. ship. Mohammed Amin To Be Confirmed Businessman and chair- man of the Conservative Muslim Forum. Simon Richards To Be Confirmed Chief Executive of the Freedom Association. A centre-right libertarian think tank. Friday Friday 28th October,29th April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Members Only Panel Discussion With Two Historians of the American Presidency Prof. John Dumbrell Dr Kevin Waite Emeritus Professor of Gov- Born and brought up in the ernment at Durham Univer- US, Dr Waite is currently sity, specialising in the US lecturer in modern Ameri- Constitution. Publications can history at Durham Uni- include A Special Relation- versity. He specialises in ship: Anglo-American rela- the politics of 19th century tions from the Cold War to America, slavery and the Iraq civil war era. Friday Friday 4th November, 29th April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Members Only This House Would Renew The Trident Nuclear Deterrent Proposition Opposition Phil Wilson MP Con Coughlin Labour MP for Journalist, broadcaster and Sedgefield since 2007, author. Currently the De- succeeding Tony Blair. fence Editor at the Daily Wilson currently sits of Telegraph having previously the parliamentary De- served as Middle East and fence Select Committee. chief foreign correspondent. Crispin Blunt MP Sebastian Payne Conservative MP for Rei- Digital Comment Editor gate and Chair of the For- at the Financial Times eign Affairs Select Commit- and former Online Edi- tee. In 2016, he was the only tor at the Spectator. A Conservative MP to vote against a motion calling for Durham Union alumnus. the renewal of Trident. Kevan Jones MP Brendan O’Hara MP Labour MP for North SNP MP for Argyll and Durham since 2001. Bute since 2015. He is cur- rently the party’s defence Parliamentary Under- spokesman in the House of Secretary of State for Commons. Defence 2008-2010. Friday Friday18th November, 29th April, 8:30pm. 8:30pm, The Debating Chamber, Chamber Palace Green the Durham Union Members Only This House Believes The Invasion Of Iraq Was A Blunder Not A Crime Proposition Opposition Sir Edward Leigh MP Graham Stringer MP Conservative MP for Gains- Labour MP for Blackley borough and former Chair- and Broughton since man of the Public Accounts 1997. Vocal critic of the Committee. Leigh was one of party leadership under 15 Conservative MPs to vote Tony Blair and Gordon against the invasion of Iraq in Brown, Stringer cam- 2003.