The politics panel

The politics panel

The politics panel

event Saturday 28 September 2024 schedule 3.00pm - 4.00pm BST
event Saturday 28 September 2024 schedule 3.00pm - 4.00pm BST
  • Big Ben and the HOuses of Parliament, London
Lively discussion and insight into the political issues of the day
In-person at Sidgwick | £15
Open to: 
Alumni and guests
Location: 
Sidgwick Site | View details

As the new government passes its 100-day milestone, join our eminent panel of Cambridge alumni for a lively discussion of all things political. Is the government keeping its manifesto promises? Who is benefitting from their policies and who is missing out? Can they reverse the cost-of-living crisis and restore faith in our politics? What is the UK’s role in the world now? Hear unique insights from our expert panel and ask your own questions for their perspectives on the issues that matter to you.

Chair: Roger Mosey 
Panellists: Sir Vince Cable, Gavin Barwell, Charles Clarke, Charlotte Ivers 

Speakers

Roger Mosey

roger mosey

Roger Mosey is the Master of Selwyn College and a Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Previously, he spent most of his career at the BBC. His final role was as Editorial Director, and previous jobs included being Editor of Today on BBC Radio 4; Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live; Head of BBC Television News; Director of Sport and the BBC Director of London 2012.

Roger was born in Bradford in 1958 and educated at Bradford Grammar School, followed by Wadham College, Oxford. He has written two books about the media – most recently “20 Things That Would Make The News Better” – and is a contributor to publications including the New Statesman, The Spectator, and the Independent.

Sir Vince Cable (Fitzwilliam 1963)

Photograph of Vince Cable

Sir Vince Cable graduated from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in 1966, where he was President of the Union. His diverse career includes roles in the Kenya Treasury, the Diplomatic Service, and as an economics lecturer at Glasgow University. He also directed research at Chatham House and served as Chief Economist for Shell. 

A Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham for 20 years, Sir Vince was party leader and served as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills during the Coalition government. Since retiring from politics, he has been a Professor in Practice at LSE, a Distinguished Fellow of ODI, and an Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College. He is currently a non-executive Director of Element 2 and Chair of the eFreight 2030 consortium.  

His recent books include "How to be a Politician," "The Chinese Conundrum," "Money and Power," and "Open Arms." 

Gavin Barwell (Trinity 1990)

Photograph of Gavin Barwell

Gavin Barwell served as Downing Street Chief of Staff to Theresa May from June 2017 to July 2019, playing a key role in negotiating her Brexit deal and developing policies like the UK's commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. He detailed this period in his book, “Chief of Staff: An Insider’s Account of Downing Street’s Most Turbulent Years”. 

Before this role, he was the Member of Parliament for Croydon Central (2010-2017) and a Government Minister (2013-2017), including Minister of State for Housing & Planning and Minister for London. 

In October 2019, he was appointed to the House of Lords. Currently, he co-runs NorthStar, advising on UK and geopolitical matters. He is also a non-executive director of Clarion Housing Group and a member of the Advisory Board of the Work Foundation. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, studying Natural Sciences and served as President of the Cambridge Union. 

Charles Clarke (King's 1969)

Photograph of Charles Clarke

Charles Clarke read mathematics and economics at Kings College, Cambridge. He now holds Visiting Professorships at the University of Lancaster and Kings College London, co-leads the Baltic Geopolitics Programme at Cambridge University, and works on international education reform for Cambridge Partnership for Education. 

He was President of the National Union of Students and then a Labour councillor in Hackney before working as Chief of Staff for Neil Kinnock, the Labour Party Leader. 

Charles was elected Labour MP for Norwich South (1997-2010) and joined the government in 1998. He served as Labour Party Chair, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, and Home Secretary until 2006. 

His recent books include Understanding the Baltic States (2023), The University Challenge (2020), The Too Difficult Box (2014), British Labour Leaders (2015), and British Conservative Leaders (2015).

Charlotte Ivers (Pembroke 2013)

Photograph of Charlotte Ivers

Charlotte Ivers is a journalist for The Sunday Times, and also the paper’s restaurant critic. She has a broad ranging beat and has recently covered everything from the U.K. general election to the politics of Eurovision and Euro 2024.  

Previously, she was political correspondent for Times Radio and for talkRADIO, where she won multiple awards for her journalism. Prior to this, she was a civil servant in the Prime Minister’s Office under Theresa May and (briefly) Boris Johnson.  

She graduated from Pembroke College in 2016, with a first-class degree in History and Philosophy of Science. While at Cambridge, she wrote for Varsity and The Tab, and was elected president of the Cambridge Union.

Booking information

In-person lectures at the Sidgwick Site as part of Alumni Festival cost £15 per person.

Price: 
£15

Location

Sidgwick Site
West Road
Cambridge
CB3 9DP
United Kingdom

Contact

Alumni Festival Team
Location: