I read the "apology" of the Oxford Union Society President in Cherwell last week with some disappointment. Despite the promise of the title, it turns out to be one of those curious modern "apologies" in which the author, far from accepting responsibility for any wrongdoing, deliberate or accidental on his part, sets out to pin the blame on everybody else.

To summarise, Josh is sorry that I lied to him, sorry that I libelled him and continue to do so, and most of all, sorry that this sordid business will distract the membership of the Oxford Union from acknowledging President Roche's real and glorious legacy, viz. change, hope, etc.

I will not respond in kind. I would, however, like to respond to a few things Josh said.

1) "Yushchenko, d'Estaing and Jude Law were organised in co-ordination with the Cambridge Union".

In September Josh approached me about collaboration on speakers. I gave him a list of speakers we were expecting to welcome to Cambridge this term, including the above. (Yushcehnko's visit has now been postponed until January; Jude Law is still expected this month, although we await confirmation of date and time from his agent; d'Estaing is due to speak on November 19th).

I said that I would see what I could do, and that I would be happy to pass on contacts or approach speakers on his behalf. Josh also offered to make inquiries to several of his speakers (he mentioned in particular Will Young and Richard Hammond) about visitng Cambridge.

Josh, myself and Sebastien (Cambridge Union Senior Officer) liaised intermittently over the next six weeks, but little progress was made. Most speakers whom I or Seb approached said that Oxford would need to contact them directly.

2) "I had been told by my colleagues at the Cambridge Union that everything was on track. As such they were put in the termcard when we went to press in the genuine confidence that the events would happen."

By the time the Oxford termcard went to press, I had not been able to confirm a single speaker to speak at Oxford this term, and had made this quite clear to Josh, although I explained that I would continue to work on his behalf.
If Josh included any of our speakers in the Oxford Union termcard he did so in full knowledge that none of those speakers had yet accepted invitations to speak in Oxford, and at least one had already declined.

3) "For a number of reasons these speakers had to cancel their appearances this term. Regrettably I was not informed of this until Cherwell journalists contacted the Cambridge Union."

To reiterate: none of these speakers had committed to speaking at Oxford this term. I was extremely surprised to be contacted by the Cherwell, who told me that they were investigating several speakers who were included on the Oxford termcard but had not materialised, and had been told by a Union representative that these visits were being arranged by us in Cambridge.

Josh seems to have taken my promise of assistance as a green light to copy and paste my termcard into his. I find this frankly bizarre. (I would certainly never have dreamt of including Will Young and Richard Hammond, whom Josh promised to invite on Cambridge's behalf, in my termcard.)

4) "I'm at a bit of a loss as to why Cambridge Union's comments were so inflammatory."

I wouldn't have made our private dealings public if Josh hadn't tried to pin the blame on the Cambridge Union for his dishonest termcard. I bear no grudge toward the Oxford Union. I have been fortunate enough to speak there on several occasions myself, have many friends who are closely involved with the society, and have always admired the professionalism with which it is usually run.

Indeed, many here at Cambridge have long felt a mixture of envy and respect when they regard a society so like their own with better facilities, more members and (usually) better speakers. The sweeping reforms that have done so much to bring our Union forward over the past 6 months have been based in no small part on what I and others took to be the best features of yours.

So I am really sorry, not in Mr Roche's sense of the word but in the old-fashioned one, for any embarrassment I have caused your Society. I spent August in Oxford and I know how many of you worked so hard for this term.

I could have chosen to let this matter drop quietly, and perhaps I should have done so. But having gotten involved I would like to set the record straight.