American rock musician Courtney Love treated members of the Oxford University Conservative Association to a lively visit last Sunday.
By the end of the night the celebrity had not only joined the Association, but was also elected as the group’s first ‘Non-Executive Officer for Rock and Roll’.
Students departing from the evening’s Union debate were surprised to find Love in the Goodman Library. “I thought some people were going to faint,” said Trinity PPEist Joseph Gold-Ochsner.
The event covered many topics. During a discussion of foreign policy, Love claimed that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has made romantic overtures to her and offered to try and exercise leverage over his oil export policy on behalf of Britain and the US.
Love was in possession of a walking stick which she claimed to have once belonged to Sir Winston Churchill. As the event got underway Love stipulated that whoever intended to speak should be in possession of the item.
Joe Cooke, OUCA President-Elect, said that despite incessant lobbying for Love to donate the cane to the society, “she insisted that it was for P Diddy’s birthday.”
Adi Balachander, a History student at St Anne’s, sat next to Love throughout most of the night. “I found her to be a very friendly person. She was quite happy to find so many young people interested in politics,” he said.
The celebrity was said to have been interested in the “Tory culture” and the differences between American and British conservatives.
Love’s visit also attested to her career in rock and roll. As the meeting came to a close Love commended everyone in attendance to climb onto tables and sing the theme tune from ‘Dad’s Army’, also accompanying the young conservatives in their renditions of ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘God Save the Queen’. After the event Love accompanied students to the King’s Arms.
Joe Cooke does not believe any one in attendance will forget the night soon. He told Cherwell, “I was shocked to find a rock star in our midst.”
OUCA President Henry Evans was notified earlier in the day by the Union that Love wished to attend OUCA’s weekly ‘Port and Policy’ event. The celebrity was reportedly in Oxford visiting a friend, enjoying a day of pheasant shooting and looking for property in Oxfordshire.
Love spoke at the Oxford Union last year. Her talk focussed on relationships and spirituality.
