Programme for Lent 2009

Peter Riddell

Monday 19th January

Assistant editor of the Times since 1991; leading political commentator writing mainly though not exclusively on British politics; author of several publications, including two on Margaret Thatcher. He will address the society on the subject of ‘Prime Ministers and Presidents - are there transatlantic echoes?’

Sir Hillary Sinnott KCMG

Wednesday 28th January

Senior Consulting Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), where he specialises in South Asian affairs and post-conflict issues. Before retiring from the British Diplomatic Service, Sir Hilary was the Coalition Provisional Authority’s Regional Coordinator for South Iraq from July 2003 until the end of January 2004. He has recently published a book regarding his experiences there, entitled Bad Days in Basra.

Prof. Lawrence Sherman

Thursday 5th February

Wolfson Professor of Criminology since 2007, formerly Greenfield Professor of Human Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. His field of research includes such themes of crime prevention, evidence-based policy, restorative justice, police practices and experimental criminology.

General Sir Mike Jackson

Monday 9th February (date tbc)

Former Chief of the General Staff; former commander of Nato led international forces in Kosovo and Bosnia, as well as second in command of a company of the Parachute Regiment in Derry during the events of Bloody Sunday. More recently, he has been critical of the US-led invasion of Iraq and of the British government’s treatment of the armed forces.

Andrew Gilligan

Monday 16th February (date tbc)

Current holder of the British Press Awards’ Journalist of the Year prize; most famous for his 2003 report regarding the government’s notorious ‘Dodgy Dossier’ expounding the supposed existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.

Peter Lilley MP

Thursday 26th February

Conservative MP for Hitchen and Harpenden, appointed Chairman of the Globalisation and Global Poverty policy group following David Cameron’s election as party leader in December 2005. Produced a report for centre-right think tank ‘Bow Group’ in 2005 which was highly critical of government proposals for a National Identity Register.

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If you have any suggestions as to who you would like to see address Clare Politics please don’t hesitate to tell us! Email our Secretary, Kieran Hawkins, and we’ll do our very best to contact them. In the mean time, keep checking this page for updates and we look forward to meeting you at the talks.