Cherwell can exclusively reveal that President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, footballing duo Harry and Jamie Redknapp, singer John Legend, Ireland’s first female president Mary Robinson, and Indian screenwriter Javed Akhtar are all set to speak at the Oxford Union this term.
The Union will play host to a number of high-profile guests from the music industry, including the multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, and American musician Nile Rodgers, both of whom will perform as part of their appearances.
There will also be a visit from the controversial American conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who has been outspoken on issues such as abortion rights and critical race theory. He will speak on the debate motion ‘This House Believes Trump has gone too far’, facing off against American political scientist Joseph Nye.
Nayib Bukele is the current president of El Salvador known for his unorthodox policies, including making the country the first in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. He has recently received international attention after agreeing to imprison hundreds of Venezuelans deported from the United States. Branding himself “the world’s coolest dictator”, Bukele has been criticised for authoritarian actions such as replacing top-level judges with allies, but despite this he still remains a popular figure domestically.
Father and son footballing duo Harry and Jamie Redknapp are both known for their respective careers in the football industry, the former a long-serving manager and the latter remembered in particular for his time at Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Harry Redknapp has managed a range of English clubs including West Ham, Spurs, and QPR, also winning the 2008 FA Cup with Portsmouth. Meanwhile, Jamie Redknapp, who made a number of appearances for his country at international level, has since retirement been a regular TV pundit for Sky Sports.
John Legend is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, principally known for hit songs like “All of Me” and “Ordinary People”. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and achieved EGOT status as the recipient of 12 Grammys, an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy. He also won the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People’s (NAACP) President’s Award in 2016.
Mary Robinson served as Ireland’s first female president from 1990 to 1997, also being the first independent candidate to reach the position. She advanced multiple civil rights reforms, including the decriminalisation of homsexuality and the legalisation of divorce. Following her presidency, she took up the role of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Javed Akhtar is an Indian poet, lyricist, and screenwriter, acclaimed for his contributions to the Hindi cinematic and literary world. Classics such as Sholay and Deewar can be attributed to him, the result of his work as part of the screenwriting duo Salim-Javed. He is a five-time National Film Award winner and Padma Bhushan recipient, as well as being renowned for his progressive Urdu poetry. In 2013, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award, India’s second highest literary honour, for his poetry collection Lava.
The Trinity term card also features debates on topics such as the NHS, euthanasia, and feminism. It will also entail other events, namely a student-only debate on Saturday of Week 0 (26th April), with members able to ballot for the opportunity to speak on the motion ‘This House Believes capitalism has killed the arts’..
Debates this term include the motion ‘This House Believes Africa must evict its colonial masters’, with Errol Musk, the father of Elon, and self-proclaimed ‘Prince of Pan-Africanism’ Dr. Umar set to speak.
The Oxford Union will also debate ‘This House Believes the right to die is a human right’, hosting guest speakers such as the former President of the UK Supreme Court Lord David Neuberger and barrister Lord David Pannick.
A debate will also be held on whether ‘This House Believes no one can be illegal on stolen land’. Guest speakers include right-wing New Zealand politician David Seymour , and Nivine Sandouka, a Palestinian feminist and peace activist.
Regarding the forthcoming term, Oxford Union president Anita Okunde told Cherwell: “This term, the Oxford Union is throwing open its doors wider than ever. We’re not just inviting members to listen – we’re empowering them to speak. With member ballots for paper speeches in key debates, including this Saturday at our debate ‘This House Believes Capitalism has killed the Arts’ and ‘This House Believes Trump Has Gone Too Far,’ we’re breaking from tradition of only committee members being awarded these to ensure more voices are heard. No longer reserved for the usual few, this is a term card by the members, for the members.
“From Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi’s battle against authoritarianism to the explosive debate on Africa’s liberation from colonial legacies, we’re tackling the issues that matter – with speakers as diverse as President Mary Robinson, Motaz Aziza, and music icon Nile Rodgers and Don McLean.
“This isn’t just a series of events; it’s a challenge. A challenge to engage, to dissent, and to claim your place in the Union’s legacy. Because the best debates don’t just happen in the chamber – they start there.”
