As the newly elected president of the Oxford Union, I have the privilege of serving during the Union’s 200th anniversary, and of being its 40th female president. The Union often attracts attention not only across Oxford University, but also around the world for the speakers it hosts. Sometimes, the reactions are of praise and admiration but at other times, these can come in the form of vitriol and abuse hurled at our committee.
I have seen first-hand the impact that this intense pressure can have on students. Throughout my six terms at the Union, I have witnessed six different presidents each take wildly different approaches to inviting speakers — each with the same core value of promoting debate and freedom of speech. Anyone who takes office at the Oxford Union is acutely aware that the decision to host a speaker can result in anything from comments on social media from people around the world, to threats shouted at you across the street.
