Term Card M24 by Cambridge University Conservative Association

The Committee

The Lord Roberts, President

Dr John Casey, Senior Treasuerer

Szymon Sawicki, Chairman

Ewan Woods, Vice Chairman

Emily Freeman, Treasuer

Daniel Vollborth, General Secretary

Francisc Vladovici Poplauschi, Speakers Officer

Saksham Aggarwal, Speakers Officer Elect

Daniel Ciesla, Communications Officer

Zoe Zhang, Editor of The Torch

Sam Ghanavati, Lawrence Whitworth, Alumni Officers

Welcome to CUCA

I recently spoke to one of our Alumni, who now lives in Cambridgeshire and campaigns with us regularly. He first joined CUCA as an undergraduate in 1974, and although he was never Chairman, he did know many of the heavyweights of that period.

He told me that his first year in CUCA was focused around the suprise election loss that same year, and where the Party has to go next. The Wet vs Dry debate effectively turned into a screaming match.

Fast forward 50 years to 2024, and we are arguably in an even worse positon. A landslide Labour victory, a new right-wing party offering an alternative to our supporters, and the Lib Dems parking their yellow tanks on our front lawn across the South. We’ve suffered our worst defeat against the backdrop of our worst scandals and the worst position the country has found itself in for decades.

Just like the CUCA of 1974, CUCA in 2024 has to take a good look at the last few years and answer the questions “What happened” and “Where do we go now”. These are what myself and my Committee have framed this term around.

We have invited speakers who were involved in our greatest victories and our greatest failures - Michael Howard, our leader in 2005, David Cameron, our first PM after Blair’s landslide, and many more. Our P&P motions will be unafraid to adress the status of the NHS, the migration crisis, and UK foreign policy.

The fact of the matter is, there aren’t many Young Conservatives in the UK. Those of us currently involed in student politics will be, in some way, responsible for what happens in the next 10, 15 or 20 years. And in 2024, just as in 1974, CUCA will serve as the vehicle for the political soul-searching that is required.

Szymon Sawicki, Chairman

About CUCA

Founded in 1921, the Cambridge University Conservative Association is the largest and most active political society in the University. The Association provides many opportunities to engage in some of the excellent debate and political activity we maintain at Cambridge.

Society events provide wide-ranging opportunities to hear from the leading lights of Conservative politics and journalism while getting to know like-minded students. Speaker meetings are always free and open to all members of the University.

The Association also provides a calendar of many social events. withpub crawls, our famous Port & Policy, and a host of other exciting events, CUCA members find many opportunities to relax and socialise.