Aimee Howarth brings you an interview with The Yorker directors on the final day of the advent articles
Aimee Howarth speaks to YUSU's sabbatical officers about their Christmas Day routine for day 17 of the advent calendar
For the final time this term, Vicky Morris updates you on this weeks film news
50 years after the publication of 'James and the Giant Peach', the works of Roald Dahl continue to celebrate success.
Anthony Seldon took the stand as the latest high profile speaker to hold a lecture for the New Generation Society (NGS), a relatively new political group on campus. NGS are a non-partisan group, promoting political dialogue outside conventional party politics.
Dr Seldon, who is best known for his writing as Tony Blair’s biographer and other former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, whom he wrote the official biography for, is also well known for his view on education. In 2006 he introduced ‘Happiness Classes’ (or positive psychology) to Wellington College in his current post as Master, as he wanted pupils to focus both positive and negative emotions in a constructive, healthy way.
His next political book, Blair Unbound, is released on November 1st. It explores what is regarded as the highpoint of the former PM's leadership after 9/11, leading up the handover of leadership to Gordon Brown.
During the lecture, the first formal NGS event of the academic year, Seldon spoke about his views regarding Blair’s legacy, education, and other current political issues.
He won three general elections in a row, and is one of the most successful figures in British history.
Of Mr Blair, Seldon began: “Tony Blair is clearly the most outstanding Prime Minister the country has ever seen. Bettered only by the remarkable Gordon Brown. He is balanced, safe, calm – bettered only by Ed Balls. You can turn the camera off and then we can begin!”
He later added: “Love him or loathe him, he (Tony Blair) is a massive figure in British politics. He won three general elections in a row, and is one of the most successful figures in British history.
"I think his most important legacy is as Labour party leader.”
In response to how the politics of today will affect the future of young people, Seldon said: “I don’t think politics greatly affect your lives, they will be barely affected by what happened between 1997 and 2007.
"What will is technology, and great global forces, no longer from the United States, but India and China. Climate change will. What happened inside Number 10 won’t.”
During the lecture, Dr Seldon was further questioned upon various topics regarding his views about the Blair Government including Northern Ireland, the Middle East, and the future of the Labour party.
Speaking about the war in Iraq, and the controversial decisions made surrounding the start of the conflict, Seldon said: “The British contribution to the Iraq War is tiny. The war would have happened in fundamentally the same way, as would top up fees. I think we put too much weight upon individuals.
"When you are in Number 10 Downing Street, the pressure is immense, time to make decisions is so little, and historians will pick at what you decided.”
On issues of education, Dr Seldon discussed his view upon UK Universities: “I think that in contrast to America, the requirement that universities place on schools, such as A Levels, apart from being transparently unfair, is limited of what it takes to be an intelligent human being. Very little is put on your personal ambition.”
Later, The Yorker took time to further question Dr Seldon upon the Blair legacy, and his future outside Number 10.
"I think it would be hard for him to achieve anything because if you don’t have power it’s very hard to achieve things. If you look at the biographies of leaders, once they leave office there is very little said about them.
"I don’t think a future biography will say he did very much after June 2007."
"I feel strongly I don’t want to write any more political biographies. This one half killed me. I don’t find Gordon Brown a very attractive person, although I admire him very much, I want to write about different things."
"He is much more spiritual than religious - he does not want to convert people to Christianity. But he believes there is a human spirit, which is there in all people.
"It is a very profound and immense part of him but it’s hard to know what he can do with it."
There was no doubt that the lecture provided opportunity for debate amongst the students who attended, and was summed up by a New Generation Society spokesperson as “unique and fascinating”.
The New Generation Society hold regular meetings, 'Thinking & Drinking', held every Thursday at 7.30pm in the James College JCR. For more information on the society and future events, visit www.newgenerationsociety.com
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