News Politics Society Talk: Jonathan Aitken 22.02.2024

On Tuesday afternoon members of the Godolphin Politics Society heard from author, priest, and former Conservative MP, Jonathan Aitken.

Like our previous guest speaker, Lord Vaizey, Mr Aitken was a Conservative who has been an MP and a government minister. However, he explained how he was no longer involved in politics having suffered a fall from grace when he was convicted of perjury in the 1990s. He took his audience through his political career, especially what life was like in the UK when he first entered politics in the 1970s, and how it came to an end. He also explained how a criminal conviction and prison sentence transformed his life, leading to his current role as an ordained minister who is chaplain to the prisoners in Pentonville Prison. A large, attentive, audience asked questions about both periods of his life and their intersection, such as whether his perspective as a minister has changed how sees his life as a politician.

Next Tuesday, the Politics Society will have another visiting speaker, Professor Lauren Bell who will be sharing her experience of having worked in the US Supreme Court and Congress.