The Oxford Union has unveiled its much-anticipated termcard for Hilary Term 2026. This comes after a longer-than-usual delay to the term card’s release, with much speculation about the term’s debates and speakers.
On 22 January, the Union will be holding its first major speaker event of the term – hosting Zia Yusuf, the Head of Policy at Reform UK, and Laila Cunningham, the party’s candidate for the London Mayoral Election in 2028. The pair will also be participating in the first debate of the term: ‘This House Believes that Churchill Was a War Hero’, speaking for the proposition.
Other prominent debates this term include ‘This House Believes the English Flag Has Become a Symbol of Division’, in which Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, will be speaking for the opposition. The Union will also be debating the timely topic of artificial general intelligence in its Week 5 debate: ‘This House Believes that Artificial General Intelligence Will Be Humanity’s Last Great Invention’.
Matt Hancock, who is well known for his central role as Health Secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be speaking to members on 3 March.
Other political figures at the Union this term include: crossbencher Lord Skidelsky, who will be speaking in the Week 6 debate ‘This House Would Keep Politics Out of Sport’; Attila Mesterházy, a Hungarian politician who served as the Chairman of the Hungarian Socialist Party; and Steven Crowder, an American-Canadian conservative political commentator.
Prominent figures from business will be visiting the Union, such as Luke Powell (the Managing Partner of the law firm Macfarlanes), the British technology entrepreneur Matt Clifford, and the American entrepreneur and investor Kevin Hart.
The Union will also be hosting speakers from beyond business and politics – including prominent figures from the film and entertainment industry, and the world of sport. This includes the comedian Lee Mack, who is coming to the Union on 7 March, and Jean Todt (the former CEO of Ferrari), who is coming on 22 January.
The Union promises that more speakers will be announced in due course.