Gossip - what's gone on beyond Oxford
Here will be entered any news we discover about former OULD members and their doings.
Past Members
Send me a few details and a piccie should you choose, and I'll insert you below.
Send me a few details and a piccie should you choose, and I'll insert you below.
Dr Tim Leunig (Queen's 1989-1992, St Antony's for a bit, and Nuffield to 1997) is now
Lecturer in Economic History at the LSE. He's been Chair of the Ealing, Acton & Shepherd's Bush
Lib Dems and has sat on 8 federal policy committees since 1997. He's married to Julia Cerutti
(St Hilda's 1989-92) and their daughter Jessica was born in 2003.
Lecturer in Economic History at the LSE. He's been Chair of the Ealing, Acton & Shepherd's Bush
Lib Dems and has sat on 8 federal policy committees since 1997. He's married to Julia Cerutti
(St Hilda's 1989-92) and their daughter Jessica was born in 2003.
James Moore (Christ Church 1990-93 and former OULD President) is now based at the Institute of Historical
Research, which is part of the School of Advanced Studies, which in turn is part of the University of London. At the
time of writing (June 2006) he's involved with organising a conference on the historic Liberal landslide of 1906.
Research, which is part of the School of Advanced Studies, which in turn is part of the University of London. At the
time of writing (June 2006) he's involved with organising a conference on the historic Liberal landslide of 1906.
Dr James Forder (Keble, OSLS Chair Trinity 1985) has just been elevated
to Senior Proctor of the University of Oxford. Hmm. I wasn't even aware he
was Tutor in Economics at Balliol, which shows you how my finger's on the
pulse. The wrong pulse, presumably. I suspect he's been there for years and I
just haven't read my Balliol Record closely enough. As well as penning a paper
with Chris Huhne MP some while ago in which he denounced the Euro, James
gave me invaluable help with Kissing Your Sister when I was compiling that,
and I will do my best to try and get him to contribute something towards these
pages.
PS. James has, it turns out, been at Balliol since 1997. Oh dear.
to Senior Proctor of the University of Oxford. Hmm. I wasn't even aware he
was Tutor in Economics at Balliol, which shows you how my finger's on the
pulse. The wrong pulse, presumably. I suspect he's been there for years and I
just haven't read my Balliol Record closely enough. As well as penning a paper
with Chris Huhne MP some while ago in which he denounced the Euro, James
gave me invaluable help with Kissing Your Sister when I was compiling that,
and I will do my best to try and get him to contribute something towards these
pages.
PS. James has, it turns out, been at Balliol since 1997. Oh dear.
Two erstwhile Oxford Lib Dems appeared on Radio 4 coverage of the Party
Conference this week - at least, two I heard did. Duncan Hames (left) was a leading
OULD activist some dozen years or so ago; I know because I met him and he even
joined FOULD, but I didn't even write down which college he was at. Perhaps he can
let me know, if he can spare a moment from being a Wiltshire County Councillor and
candidate for Chippenham.
Roger Giess (Keble, OULD President Michaelmas 1990 & Hilary 1991 - right) is
more my vintage. This means he has no business looking as though he is still in his
mid-teens. Why has the life of a busy solicitor and Lambeth councillor not reduced
him to the shambling ruin of a man he deserves to be?
Conference this week - at least, two I heard did. Duncan Hames (left) was a leading
OULD activist some dozen years or so ago; I know because I met him and he even
joined FOULD, but I didn't even write down which college he was at. Perhaps he can
let me know, if he can spare a moment from being a Wiltshire County Councillor and
candidate for Chippenham.
Roger Giess (Keble, OULD President Michaelmas 1990 & Hilary 1991 - right) is
more my vintage. This means he has no business looking as though he is still in his
mid-teens. Why has the life of a busy solicitor and Lambeth councillor not reduced
him to the shambling ruin of a man he deserves to be?
For the benefit of their future constituents, I must point out that Duncan and Roger
both appear here uncharacteristically specless.
both appear here uncharacteristically specless.
Benazir Bhutto RIP
I never discovered much about the late Benazir Bhutto's time as a member of OSLS back
in the mid-1970s. As an ambitious Union hack, as she was then - a fact all her obituaries
have mentioned - she may have joined all the political societies in Oxford, and wouldn't
have been the first or last to do so. Or Liberalism may have been her ideological home. I
simply don't know. Whatever the truth of that, and whatever the failings and limitations of
her government in Pakistan were, she stood for the unity of that troubled country on the
I never discovered much about the late Benazir Bhutto's time as a member of OSLS back
in the mid-1970s. As an ambitious Union hack, as she was then - a fact all her obituaries
have mentioned - she may have joined all the political societies in Oxford, and wouldn't
have been the first or last to do so. Or Liberalism may have been her ideological home. I
simply don't know. Whatever the truth of that, and whatever the failings and limitations of
her government in Pakistan were, she stood for the unity of that troubled country on the
basis of liberal, secular democracy, which can't be a bad thing. Let us pray that her legacy
has not died with her.
has not died with her.
Ooo dear
Until Ms Traves pointed it out, I had no idea that the infamous Policy Exchange report Cities Unlimited, which the BBC and
other media outfalls helpfully summarised as advocating the wholesale abandonment of northern England, had anything to do with
our own Dr Tim Leunig. But him it is, together with one of the Exchange's own boffins, what wrote it, and thus he maintains his
reputation as the most right-wing Liberal in Britain. Ever. Knowing nothing about economics - Tim once tried to explain the futures
markets to me, and I still don't understand the concept - it does strike me there are certain flaws in the argument, most notably that
the sort of information-based jobs that provide the most scope for employment growth in modern Britain shouldn't need to be
located in any particular place, so there is no more reason why the people doing them should live in Watford than in Wigan. But to
call Dr L a neo-Marxist or simply heartless - still less 'insane', which was David Cameron's considered judgement - is daft. There
are two clear motivations behind the report. The first is the ideological position that things are better left to sort themselves out,
and Government's best choice is not to stand in the way of economic forces. And it's 'best' because it does people most good: the
second motivation is the equally ideological position that it's bad if people suffer. People in some parts of the country clearly are
suffering, if only comparatively, and Tim has always hated injustice. He just sees the remedy for injustice as less intervention rather
than more.
I know nothing about economics, but I know Tim. He won't be deflected an inch by the storm surrounding the report. I'm
reminded of that other great liberal, Keith Joseph, arguing furiously with dockers in the '70s in an attempt to persuade them that
free-market economics was really in their best interest. Nevertheless, it might have been wiser to seek another outlet for his
talents, after Policy Exchange's involvement in that unfortunate Islamic extremism affair ...
Until Ms Traves pointed it out, I had no idea that the infamous Policy Exchange report Cities Unlimited, which the BBC and
other media outfalls helpfully summarised as advocating the wholesale abandonment of northern England, had anything to do with
our own Dr Tim Leunig. But him it is, together with one of the Exchange's own boffins, what wrote it, and thus he maintains his
reputation as the most right-wing Liberal in Britain. Ever. Knowing nothing about economics - Tim once tried to explain the futures
markets to me, and I still don't understand the concept - it does strike me there are certain flaws in the argument, most notably that
the sort of information-based jobs that provide the most scope for employment growth in modern Britain shouldn't need to be
located in any particular place, so there is no more reason why the people doing them should live in Watford than in Wigan. But to
call Dr L a neo-Marxist or simply heartless - still less 'insane', which was David Cameron's considered judgement - is daft. There
are two clear motivations behind the report. The first is the ideological position that things are better left to sort themselves out,
and Government's best choice is not to stand in the way of economic forces. And it's 'best' because it does people most good: the
second motivation is the equally ideological position that it's bad if people suffer. People in some parts of the country clearly are
suffering, if only comparatively, and Tim has always hated injustice. He just sees the remedy for injustice as less intervention rather
than more.
I know nothing about economics, but I know Tim. He won't be deflected an inch by the storm surrounding the report. I'm
reminded of that other great liberal, Keith Joseph, arguing furiously with dockers in the '70s in an attempt to persuade them that
free-market economics was really in their best interest. Nevertheless, it might have been wiser to seek another outlet for his
talents, after Policy Exchange's involvement in that unfortunate Islamic extremism affair ...
Sam Best-Shaw, 1971-2009
Sam was Secretary of OULD in Michaelmas 1990, the term after I served as Secretary. I don't think I
really knew him as well as I should have done. He was a gentle, urbane, witty person, with the ease and
assurance of his aristocratic background but not an speck of the arrogance that could have brought with
it. After Oxford, Sam travelled to the Czech republic, to Finland and elsewhere. He met and married
Lena, and they had Adam and Rebecca. He loved them, cricket, birdwatching, and beer, not necessarily
in that order.
Sam qualified as a financial advisor, but he always wanted to teach maths, his beloved subject (his 'sums',
as we always teased him). Barely weeks after he started teaching at a girls' secondary school in
Maidenhead, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Shamefully, after having only met him a handful of
times since Oxford days and occasionally remembering to write, it was only really after he was ill that I
made the effort to visit him and his family.
Sam lost his fight against cancer in August. I had the sad privilege of offering his funeral service and
sharing duty at his memorial service a few weeks later with the local vicar. God receive you, Sam.
Sam was Secretary of OULD in Michaelmas 1990, the term after I served as Secretary. I don't think I
really knew him as well as I should have done. He was a gentle, urbane, witty person, with the ease and
assurance of his aristocratic background but not an speck of the arrogance that could have brought with
it. After Oxford, Sam travelled to the Czech republic, to Finland and elsewhere. He met and married
Lena, and they had Adam and Rebecca. He loved them, cricket, birdwatching, and beer, not necessarily
in that order.
Sam qualified as a financial advisor, but he always wanted to teach maths, his beloved subject (his 'sums',
as we always teased him). Barely weeks after he started teaching at a girls' secondary school in
Maidenhead, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Shamefully, after having only met him a handful of
times since Oxford days and occasionally remembering to write, it was only really after he was ill that I
made the effort to visit him and his family.
Sam lost his fight against cancer in August. I had the sad privilege of offering his funeral service and
sharing duty at his memorial service a few weeks later with the local vicar. God receive you, Sam.
