Cambridge University Liberal Association

The current logo of Cambridge University Liberal Association
Abbreviation	CULA
Predecessor	Cambridge Student Liberal Democrats (1991—2017) (For previous names, please see the section titled 'Changing names')
Founded	1886; 140 years ago (1886)
Type	Student political society
Location	Cambridge
Chair	Jack Peters,Gonville and Caius
President	Julian Huppert,Jesus
Parent organisation	Liberal Democrats
Affiliations	Oxford University Liberal Democrats
Website	cula.org.uk

Cambridge University Liberal Association (CULA) is the student branch of theLiberal Democrats for students at theUniversity of Cambridge.

Founded asCambridge University Liberal Club (CULC) in 1886, it is the University's longest-established student political society, having remained in continuous existence from the time of its inception, other than during the First World War. It has been a long-term proponent ofliberalism, an early supporter ofEuropean membership and a defender ofcivil rights and individual liberty, includingLGBTQ+ rights. It also campaigns ongreen issues and the fight against human-inducedclimate change.

It is the successor to theCambridge Student Liberal Democrats, which in turn was formed from the merger ofCambridge University Liberal Club andCambridge University Social Democrats (founded in 1981) upon the creation of the Lib Dems in 1988.

In recent decades, it has campaigned against theIraq War, removals ofbanking regulation and supervision, andBrexit.

The society has long been active inCambridge politics, with student members playing a role in electingDavid Howarth on a 15% swing in the2005 election, when the student turnout was unusually and noticeably higher than that in the rest of the city, and then subsequentlyJulian Huppert as his successor in 2010.

The older of its founder societies, the Cambridge University Liberal Club, originally existed side by side with a discussion forum for radical Cambridge politics in the late 1880s, called 'The Rainbow Circle.' Alumni of this group relocated to London after their graduation, and helped found the Bloomsbury-basedradical group of that same name in 1894.^[2]

Between 1886 and 1897, the club's founder Treasurer wasOscar Browning, aFellow ofKing's and three-times Liberal candidate who was also Treasurer of theCambridge Union Society. The society had varying fortunes as the Liberal Party waned in the mid-twentieth century.

Notable past speakers included the long-term Liberal supporterOscar Wilde, as well as those not normally associated with theLiberal Party, such asJerome K. Jerome (1912),W. H. Auden (1938), former Governor of VermontHoward Dean,^[3] and Irish Prime MinisterSeán Lemass (1961). A complete list of the society's past events from 1886 to the present is availablehere.

The society today attracts numerous high-profile speakers – in recent years,Vince Cable,Menzies Campbell,Nick Clegg,Simon Hughes,Chris Huhne, andDavid Steel. During the2005 United Kingdom general election it helped organise a rally of 2,500 people withCharles Kennedy in Market Square.

The society's president, from the 1988 merger, wasBaroness Williams of Crosby, who had been theSDP candidate inCambridge in1987. She served as president until her death in 2021, after which the committee appointed former Cambridge MPJulian Huppert. Shirley Williams had previously been patron of Cambridge University Social Democrats in 1987-88.

CULA has regular political campaigning sessions, and works to get liberals elected to both the University council and City Council. The Society is particularly active during General Election campaigns, and canvasses local voters.^[4]

CULA runs regular debates and socials, from its signatureSpirited Discussions group to quizzes, game nights, cocktail competitions and informal gatherings over ice cream.^[4]

CULA hosts liberal speakers including Lib Dem MPs and liberals from across the world.^[4]

CULA charges a single fee of £5 for lifetime membership, which provides discounts to society events.^[4]

In 2005, the society joined the general election campaign with then-Liberal Democrat leaderCharles Kennedy, in Cambridge's Market Square. The party subsequently won 62 parliamentary seats, its-then highest number

In Autumn 2015, the society ran a campaign against proposals byCambridgeshire County Council to switch off streetlights in Cambridge after midnight. Working with the JCR at Trinity College and the Cambridge University Students' Union, the campaign was successful. A year later, focus switched to mental health provision within the university, with the society calling for the hiring of more counsellors in the University Counselling Service.

The society actively campaigns in elections at every level. In May 2017, the society helped secure the election of Liberal Democrats to the main student divisions of Cambridgeshire County Council.

They also organised regular campaign events for thegeneral election later that year, but were less successful. In that vote the incumbent Labour MPDaniel Zeichner increased his majority to nearly 30,000 with the Liberal Democrats down 5.6 points.

In the 2018 City Council elections, the Association was integrated into a successful city-wide campaign where the local party gained two seats in student wards.

The society was continuously calledCambridge University Liberal Club (CULC) from 1886 until 1988 (and continued to function throughout that time, apart from the years 1916-9, when it suspended its activities due toWorld War I).

In 1981,Cambridge University Social Democrats (CUSD) was formed, as the Cambridge student branch of theSDP. With theLiberals and SDP in alliance nationally, CULC and CUSD remained independent organisations, but shared close links, hosted joint events, and put up joint slates of candidates inCSU elections.

In 1988, CULC and CUSD merged into one society, as the Liberals and SDP merged into theLiberal Democrats. They initially called themselvesCambridge University Social and Liberal Democrats throughout 1988, thenCambridge University Liberal Democrats throughout 1989–90, before finally settling early in 1991 forCambridge Student Liberal Democrats, when the society expanded to include the Cambridge campus of the city's newAnglia Polytechnic (now Anglia Ruskin University). In 2017 the name was changed again toCambridge University Liberal Association upon the creation of aYoung Liberals branch catering to young people in the city who are not members of the University of Cambridge.

As with many Cambridge political societies, CULA and its predecessors (such as the longstanding CULC), were the first political organisations to involve many people who went on to both political and non-political careers – and therefore a number ended up outside Liberal politics altogether. The following notablealumni, in the gallery of photographs immediately below, were all CULC members. Again in the gallery, descriptions of any official positions held are listed at the end of each relevant entry:

• 
  John Maynard Keynes, economist, editor and the founder ofKeynesian economic theory and CULC President (1905)
• 
  Harold Abrahams, Gold Medallist at theOlympic Games in 1924, and whose efforts to win were portrayed in the 1981 film,Chariots of Fire
• 
  Bertrand Russell, mathematician, philosopher and winner of the1950 Nobel Prize in Literature. CULC Secretary (1892)
• 
  Peter Cook, comedian, actor, satirist and playwright, who formed a comedic duo withDudley Moore
• 
  Mervyn King, economist and formerDeputy Governor andGovernor of theBank of England. CULC Treasurer (1968)
• 
  Sal Brinton, businesswoman, former television producer, councillor,President of the Liberal Democrats (2015–19), and Lib Dem peer
• 
  Martin Bell, former BBC correspondent, Independent MP (1997–2001) and anti-corruption campaigner. CULC Publicity Officer (1960)
• 
  Sarah Teather, aby-election winner (2003), the Lib Dem MP forBrent East andBrent Central (2003–2015), and the party's official spokesperson for Housing
• 
  Chris Davies, MP forLittleborough and Saddleworth (1995–97),MEP forNorth West England (1999—2014/2019), and LD Leader,European Parliament
• 
  Vince Cable, formerLeader of the Liberal Democrats, and MP forTwickenham (1997–2015 and 2017–2019). Elected CULC President (1964)

• Oscar Browning, CULC founder member and Treasurer 1886–96, historian.
• Henry Jackson, CULC founder member and President 1897–99, classicist.
• John Maynard Keynes, CULC President in 1905 and economist after whichKeynesian economics is named.
• Donald MacAlister, CULC President 1901–02 & 1906, physician and academic.
• Dennis Robertson, CULC President 1910–11, economist
• Bertrand Russell, CULC Secretary in 1892, mathematician and philosopher, and winner of the1950 Nobel Prize in Literature.
• John Tresidder Sheppard, CULC President 1907–08, classicist.

• Michael Ramsey, elected (but did not serve as) CULC Chair in 1926, laterArchbishop of Canterbury.

• Robert Chote, CU Social Democrats President in 1988, economist, Director of theInstitute for Fiscal Studies 2002–10, Chairman of theOffice for Budget Responsibility 2010-2020.
• Mervyn King, CULC Treasurer in 1968, Governor of theBank of England.

• Kenneth Adam CULC President 1929–30, journalist and Controller ofBBC Television, 1957–61.
• Peter Cook, CULC member, television actor, comedian and satirist.
• Benjamin Ramm, CSLD Chair in 2004, journalist and founding editor ofThe Liberal, 2004–12.
• Andrew Rawnsley, CU Social Democrats Newsletter columnist,^[6] journalist, author and Chief Political Commentator forThe Observer newspaper.

• Ronald Waterhouse, CULC President in 1950, High Court judge.

• Martin Bell, CULC Publicity Officer in 1960 and later a BBC journalist and Independent MP 1997–2001.
• Roderic Bowen, CULC member, Liberal MP forCardigan 1945–66.
• Vince Cable, elected CULC President in 1964 (but resigned before serving), Lib Dem MP forTwickenham 1997–2019; Secretary of State for Business 2010–5, former Chief Economist ofShell Oil, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2017–19.
• James Chuter Ede, CULC member, Liberal councillor on Epsom UDC and Surrey CC, then Labour MP and Home Secretary.
• Greg Clark, CU Social Democrats President in 1987, Conservative MP 2005-24 and former Cabinet member.
• Chris Davies, CULC member, MP forLittleborough and Saddleworth 1995–7,MEP forNorth West England 1999–2014 and 2019; former Leader of the Lib Dem group in theEuropean Parliament.
• Clement Davies, CULC member, Leader of theLiberal Party 1945–56.
• Andrew Duff, CULC member, Lib Dem MEP for the East of England, 1999–2014.
• Ernest Evans, CULC President 1908–9, Liberal MP 1921–23 & 1924–43, judge.
• Emlyn Garner Evans, CULC President 1933–4, Liberal and Liberal National MP 1950–59.
• Chris Grayling, CU Social Democrats Standing Committee member in 1983, Conservative MP since 2001 and Cabinet member.
• Sir Percy Harris, CULC member, Liberal MP 1916–18 & 1922–45; Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party 1933–45.
• Arthur Hobhouse, CULC Secretary in 1906, Liberal MP and founder of the National Parks.
• David Howarth, CULC committee member 1979–81, Lib Dem MP forCambridge 2005–10.
• Simon Hughes, CULC member, Lib Dem MP forBermondsey 1983–2015 and party President 2005–09.
• Julian Huppert, CSLD Chair in 1998, Lib Dem MP for Cambridge 2010–15.
• Oliver Letwin, CULC member, Conservative MP forDorset West 1997–2019, and former Shadow Chancellor.
• Selwyn Lloyd, CULC President 1926, Conservative Chancellor 1960–2 and Foreign Secretary 1955–60, Speaker of the House of Commons 1971–76.
• C. F. G. Masterman, CULC committee member, Liberal MP 1906–18, 1923–24.
• Edwin Samuel Montagu, CULC President in 1902, Liberal MP 1906–22, cabinet minister 1915–22.
• Matthew Parris, CULC member and college secretary for Clare, later a Conservative MP 1979–86 and journalist.
• Sarah Teather, CULC member, Lib Dem MP forBrent East 2003–15, and the party's housing spokesperson.
• Richard Wainwright, CULC President in 1939, and Liberal MP forColne Valley 1966–70 and 1974–87.
• Munira Wilson, CULC member, former businesswoman, Liberal Democrat campaign manager, councillor and current Lib Dem MP forTwickenham, 2019—.

• Henry Bellingham, Baron Bellingham, CULC member, Conservative MP 1983–97 and 2001–19.
• Sal Brinton, CULC member, businesswoman, Lib Dem peer, andparty President 2015–19.
• Derek Ezra, Baron Ezra, CULC Newsletter Editor 1937–8, former chairman of the National Coal Board.
• Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon, CULC President 1927–28, Governor of Jamaica 1951–57 and Cyprus 1957–60.
• Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey, CULC member, Labour member of theGLA 2000–04.
• David Lea, Baron Lea of Crondall, CULC President in 1960,Trades Union Congress official and Labour peer.
• Arnold McNair, 1st Baron McNair, CULC Secretary in 1907, first President of theEuropean Court of Human Rights 1959–65.
• Leslie Runciman, 2nd Viscount Runciman of Doxford, CULC President 1921–22, shipbuilder.
• Nancy Seear, Baroness Seear, CULC member, Liberal peer.
• Henry Sinclair, 2nd Baron Pentland CULC President 1928–29,Fourth Way spiritualist.
• Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury, CULC member,Labour MP forIslington South and Finsbury, 1983–2005, and cabinet minister.
• Sir Charles Trevelyan, 3rd Baronet, CULC committee member. (known before his elevation to the Lords asC. P. Trevelyan), Labour President of the Board of Education 1924, 1929–31.
• Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, CULC member, former Lib Dem MP 1983–2001 andDeputy First Minister of Scotland.
• Lord Wallace of Saltaire, CULC President in 1961, academic.
• Alan Watson, Baron Watson of Richmond, CULC President in 1963, broadcaster and Lib Dem peer.

• Robert Egerton Swartwout, CULC President 1930–31, coxswain, author, poet, and cartoonist.

• Harold Abrahams, CULC member, 100m Gold Medallist,1924 Paris Olympics.

The association runs a subsidiary group,the Keynes Society, for alumni. Membership is free and lasts for life.^[8]

• Thévoz, Seth Alexander (Summer 2016)."Cambridge University Liberal Club, 1886-1916: A Study in Early Student Political Organisation"(PDF).Journal of Liberal History (91).

• Cambridge University Liberal Association (Homepage)
• Liberal Voice – the online version of the society's paper
• The Keynes Society, for alumni of CULA – includes extensive lists of past events and officeholders of the society
• Cambridge University Liberal Club minute book 1886–97, papers of Edwin Samuel Montagu, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge
• Cambridge University Liberal Club minute book 1897–1915, papers of J. Conway Davies, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
• Cambridge University Liberal Club records and papers, 1945–87, Manuscripts Department, Cambridge University Library

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Clubs and societies of the University of Cambridge
• Organisations associated with the Liberal Democrats (UK)
• Student organizations established in 1886
• Student wings of political parties in the United Kingdom

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