Latest news with #chancellor
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
QI host Sandi Toksvig and anti-Brexit firebrand Gina Miller make Cambridge University Chancellor shortlist
Bake Off and QI star Sandi Toksvig and anti-Brexit firebrand Gina Miller are on the shortlist to be the next chancellor of Cambridge University. Both are hoping to become the first woman to hold the ceremonial position in its 800-year history. But fellow candidate Wyn Evans, an astrophysics professor at the university, warned they may lower the tone at the highbrow institution. 'If Cambridge needs a high-profile or celebrity chancellor to be noticed, we might as well give up and rebrand the university as a reality TV show - Keeping Up with the Cantabrigians,' he said. Ms Toksvig, 67, who studied law, archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge, questioned whether it was 'time for a change'. She said: 'The first known chancellor of Cambridge was Richard of Wetheringsett who served sometime between 1215 and 1232. 'After that we have had a plethora of other Richards, many Johns and an awful lot of Stephens - after over 800 years I wonder if it isn't time for a change?' The comedian and TV host once told how she was almost kicked out of the university for having a girlfriend sleep over, and was only allowed to stay because of her 'excellent academic record'. 'If you are going to be gay, at least be clever,' she joked. 'What [they] don't want is gay stupid people.' Gina Miller, 60, who successfully challenged the government in court over the implementation of Brexit, said she would champion 'civil discourse, fairness, and democratic principles' at Cambridge. 'Electing the first woman to the role - while not essential - would be powerful and symbolic, affirming Cambridge's commitment to modernity and equality,' she said. In 2017, Ms Miller won a Supreme Court ruling that MPs should have a say over triggering Article 50, which took the UK out of the EU. She also successfully challenged Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament in 2019 as a Brexit debate was looming. The other eight people on the shortlist for chancellor are all men. They include Cambridge college presidents Lord Smith and Dr El-Erian, former BP chief executive Lord Browne, professors Tony Booth and Wyn Evans, and Cambridge alumni Ayham Ammora, Ali Azeem and Mark Mann.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Sebastian Kurz: Austria's ex-chancellor wins appeal against perjury conviction
Austria's former chancellor Sebastian Kurz has won his appeal against a conviction for giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. The court's ruling overturns last year's judgement and eight-month suspended prison sentence for the former political star. Once hailed a wunderkind of Europe's conservatives, the 38-year-old resigned as chancellor in 2021 and quit politics amid a series of allegations. Monday's acquittal removes a key obstacle to a potential political comeback, but he still faces investigation on separate corruption allegations. Last year, Kurz was found guilty of perjury for giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. The case against him centred over allegations that he had been involved in the selection of executives on a newly-created state holding company when he was chancellor, as opposed to being merely kept told a parliamentary probe in 2020 that he was "involved in the sense of informed". But the first trial judge deemed that declaration false and ruled that Kurz had played a more active in his appeal Kurz argued that the judge who had convicted him was biased. The appeal bench of three judges ruled in his favour on Monday, reading out in their judgement that Kurz "was acquitted because the objective offence of giving false evidence was not fulfilled".Speaking to reporters outside court on Monday, Kurz said the years of accusations against him had "now all collapsed"."There have been numerous court hearings - a huge amount of confrontation with these accusations. You have all witnessed how much this has been celebrated and that it has now all collapsed," he has also denied wrongdoing on the corruption allegations for which he is being are yet to decide whether to charge him over the allegations that he used public money to pay for favourable media coverage and to fund polls which exaggerated support for him. Kurz has not publicly voiced an intention to return to politics quitting in 2021, he has been involved in several business ventures including the high-profile Dream cybsersecurity company, which he co-founded in 2023 with partners including the former boss of Israel's NSO firm that developed the controversial Pegasus spyware had previously headed the conservative Austrian's People's Party, leading the party to victories in 2017 and 2019 on a hardline immigration People's Party is still in charge in Austria after it managed to form a three-party coalition with the Social Democrats and a liberal party after elections last that vote was won by the far-right Freedom Party, who seized on voter frustrations on the economy and migration. Despite topping parliamentary elections for the first time, they failed to form government.
Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Cambridge chancellor hopeful wants to stop cash from oil firms
The broadcaster Sandi Toksvig and Lord Browne of Madingley, the former BP boss, are among well-known names vying to become the new chancellor of Cambridge University. Tony Booth, the newest contender, is a relative unknown, who bills himself as a 'chancellor of conscience' and has taken part in Gaza protests at the university. Booth, 80, was a visiting research fellow at Cambridge University's department of education. He was also a professor of education at Canterbury University. He wants the university to be an ethical force in the world. The role is unpaid and brings no executive responsibilities, but the successful candidate will play a part in fundraising and in providing advice to senior members, the university says. It will allow voters, who include most Cambridge
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Friedrich Merz's bid to become Germany's 10th chancellor receives major setback
Conservative leader Friedrich Merz 's bid to become Germany 's 10th chancellor since the second World War failed in the first round of voting in parliament on Tuesday by six votes, a vote he had been widely expected to win smoothly. Mr Merz needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot. He only received 310 votes. Friedrich Merz reacts after he was not elected Germany's new chancellor in the first voting process at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin. Photograph: Markus Schreiber/AP The parties were to regroup to discuss the next step but it was not immediately clear how long the process could take. READ MORE The lower house of parliament – called the Bundestag – has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. If that also fails, the constitution allows for the president to appoint the candidate who wins the most votes as chancellor, or to dissolve the Bundestag and hold a new national election. Mr Merz is seeking to take the helm of the 27-nation European Union's most populous member after outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government collapsed last year. Germany has the continent's biggest economy and serves as a diplomatic heavyweight. Mr Merz's portfolio would include the war in Ukraine and the Trump administration's trade policy on top of domestic issues such as the stagnant economy and the rise of a far-right, anti-immigrant party. – PA
Bloomberg
09-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany Says Trump and Merz Agree on Need for Swift Trade Accord
Germany 's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and US President Donald Trump agreed trade disputes should be resolved quickly and discussed the need for close cooperation between the two nations. In his first call with Trump since taking office on Tuesday, Merz also stressed Germany's robust backing for Ukraine, according to a statement late Thursday from the chancellor's office in Berlin. He made clear that Germany supports Trump's effort to end Russia 's war, while Trump congratulated Merz on his election as chancellor, according to the statement.
