The Neave Society
The Neave Society is Merton College’s politics and current affairs society, named in honour of former Mertonian, lawyer, soldier and MP Lt Col Airey Neave DSO OBE MC TD.
The Society meets weekly for events covering current affairs and contemporary political issues. Its flagship motions are held fortnightly on Saturday evenings and bring Mertonians together in discussion and debate. It also holds Current Affairs Fora fortnightly on Wednesdays for those looking to drop in and share their thoughts on a chosen topic. Throughout the term the Society also holds a range of events in collaboration with other student societies from debate workshops to Q&As with speakers from a range of backgrounds and views.
Motions are accompanied by our customary drinks and nibbles, and all members of Merton College are welcome to attend.
You can read more about the Neave Society, our events, and how to get involved at our LinkTree: www.linktr.ee/theneavesociety
Trinity Term 2025
| Date | Motion |
| Week 7 – Friday 13th June | ‘This House believes we didn’t start the fire’ |
| Week 5 – Friday 30th May | ‘This House believes the UK is a functionally Christian country’ |
| Week 3 – Friday 16th May | ‘This House believes labour has replaced life’ |
| Week 1 – Friday 2nd May | ‘This House would fight on the beaches’ |
Hilary Term 2025 – ‘Renewal’
| Date | Motion |
| Week 7 – Tuesday 4th March | ‘This House believes in the divine right of kings' |
| Week 5 – Saturday 22nd February | ‘This House believes in a digital world’ |
| Week 3 – Saturday 8th February | ‘This House believes in the right to life’ |
| Week 2 - Saturday 1st February | ‘This House would not inaugurate the Trump Administration’ |
Trinity term 2022
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 17 May - 4th week | This House would introduce affirmative action in the UK |
| Wednesday 4 May - 2nd week | This House believes it is the duty of tech companies to regulate online speech where necessary |
Hilary term 2022
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 15 February - 5th week | This House would teach children to be sceptical of parental authority |
| Tuesday 1 February - 3rd week | This House believes voluntary euthanasia should be legalised |
| Tuesday 18 January - 1st week | This House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government |
Michaelmas term 2021
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 17 October - 6th week | This House would go cashless |
| Thursday 28 October - 3rd week | This House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government |
| Friday 8 October - 0th week | This House believes that all art is political |
Trinity term 2021
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Thursday 3 June - 6th week | This House believes that wealth should not be equally divided after divorce |
| Tuesday 18 May - 4th week | This House would introduce compulsory National Service |
| Wednesday 5 May - 2nd week | This House would criminalise pornography |
Hilary term 2021
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Monday 22 February - 6th week | This House believes that no one has the right to own outer space |
| Friday 12 February - 4th week | This House believes that the UK two-party system must end |
| Wednesday 27 January - 2nd week | This House believes that everyone has a right to a Twitter account |
Michaelmas term 2020
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Monday 30 November - 8th week | This House would elect a scientist to be Prime Minister |
| Monday 16 November - 6th week | This House would scrap the use of exams for university admissions |
| Monday 2 November - 4th week | This House believes the US election does not matter |
| Monday 19 October - 2nd week | This House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government |
| Friday 9 October - 0th week | This House would legalise all drugs |
Hilary term 2020
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 4 March - 7th week | This House would prefer to exist for a single day than never to have existed at all |
| Wednesday 19 February - 5th week | This House would not fund future space exploration |
| Wednesday 5 February - 3rd week | This House believes that capitalism has had its day |
| Wednesday 22 January - 1st week | This House would abolish the monarchy |
Michaelmas term 2019
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 3 December - 8th week | This House would not vote in the General Election |
| Tuesday 5 November - 4th week | This House believes that “feminism” is no longer relevant to modern society |
| Tuesday 22 October - 2nd week | This House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government |
| Tuesday 10 October - 0th week | This House believes that art should not be separated from the artist |
Trinity term 2019
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 7 May - 2nd week | This House believes that colonial states should pay reparations to former colonies |
Hilary term 2019
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 5 March - 8th week | This House believes that art should not be separated from the artist |
| Tuesday 19 February - 6th week | This House believes the UK is in dire need of a centrist political party |
| Tuesday 5 February - 4th week | This House believes humanitarian intervention is now necessary in Venezuela |
| Tuesday 22 January - 2nd week | This House believes that vegetarianism is the way forward |
Michaelmas term 2018
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 13 November - 6th week | This House regrets the number of UN condemnations of Israel |
| Tuesday 30 October - 4th week | This House supports compulsory vaccines for children |
| Tuesday 16 October - 2nd week | This House has no confidence in the Government |
Trinity term 2018
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 1 May - 2nd week | This House believes that we should legalise genetic selection of human embryos |
| Tuesday 22 May - 5th week | This House would repeal the 8th Amendment to the Irish Constitution |
| Tuesday 29 May - 6th week | This House believes referendums are good |
Hilary term 2018
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 6 March - 8th week | This House believes cats are better than dogs |
| Tuesday 20 February - 6th week | This House would abolish tuition fees |
| Tuesday 6 February - 4th week | This House believes extremists should be 'No Platformed' |
| Tuesday 23 January - 2nd week | This House believes capitalism is more dangerous than communism |
Michaelmas term 2017
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 17 October - 1st week | This House would take down statues of immoral historical figures |
| Tuesday 31 October - 4th week | This House would decriminalise marijuana |
| Tuesday 14 November - 6th week | This House would abolish the monarchy |
| Tuesday 28 November - 8th week | This House believes that Russia is a threat to Western democracy |
Trinity term 2017
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 2 May - 2nd week | This House would allow a second Scottish independence referendum |
| Tuesday 23 May - 5th week | This House believes hunting animals for sport is wrong |
| Tuesday 30 May - 6th week | Election special |
Hilary term 2017
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 24 January - 2nd week | This House would take empty buildings and use them to shelter homeless people |
| Tuesday 7 February - 4th week | This House would not allow Trump to make a state visit to the UK |
| Tuesday 21 February - 6th week | This House believes that faith schools should be abolished |
| Tuesday 7 March - 8th week | This House would reintroduce the death penalty |
Michaelmas term 2016
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 18 October - 1st week | This House believes that grammar schools are the best way to promote social mobility |
| Tuesday 1 November - 4th week | This House believes Britain is no longer a compassionate country |
| Tuesday 15 November - 6th week | This House believes Hillary Clinton is the reason Donald Trump won the US Presidential election |
| Tuesday 29 November - 8th week | This House believes that 2016 marks the beginning of the end |
Trinity term 2016
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 26 April - 1st week | This House believes the monarchy is out of place in 21st-century Britain |
| Tuesday 3 May - 2nd week | This House believes that the Oxbridge elite is damaging to society as a whole |
| Tuesday 24 May - 5th week | This House believes that the UK should vote to leave the EU |
Hilary term 2016
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 26 January - 2nd week | This House believes the creation of 'safe spaces' in universities discourages debate |
| Tuesday 9 February - 4th week | This House believes that the Government has a responsibility to prevent homelessness |
| Tuesday 23 February - 6th week | This House believes that politicians should not send their children to private school |
| Tuesday 8th March - 8th week | This House believes that Donald Trump is unstoppable |
Michaelmas term 2015
| Date | Debate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 20 October - 2nd week | This House believes that Jeremy Corbyn is good for British politics |
| Tuesday 3 November - 4th week | This House believes that we must accept our lack of privacy |
| Tuesday 17 November - 6th week | This House believes it's time for a secular Britain |
| Wednesday 2 December - 8th week | This House believes that military intervention is the most effective way to combat terrorism |
The Neave Society was revived in Hilary 2025, after a pause of two years. Fittingly, our theme that term was ‘renewal’. With fortnightly debates, accompanied by drinks and nibbles, members fielded topics including Trump, euthanasia and the divine right of kings. For those new to formal debating, undergraduate committee members Oscar Lambert (2023) and Jonathan Berry (2024) held a ‘Introduction to Debating’ workshop, while members seeking a more informal atmosphere joined us for our more relaxed and unstructured discussion fora.
A particular highlight, both of Hilary and indeed the wider year, has been working more closely with the Airey Neave Trust. In 6th Week we hosted Sebastian Neave Esq, trustee and grandson of Airey Neave, who spoke about his grandfather’s fascinating life – including his rather boisterous time at Merton, humorous escape from Colditz and remarkable post-war career in Parliament. Sebastian kindly donated a copy of The Man who was Saturday – a biography of Airey, which, alongside this year’s Neave Book Prize winner God, Guns and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America, can be found in Mob Library.
Naturally, Trinity saw our term of ‘dedication’. Excitingly, for the first time since 2021–22 the society hosted the JCR Presidential Debate which, although only one candidate was able to attend, saw an admirable effort from Kubilay Mendi (2024) representing re-opening nominations (RON)! With the 80th anniversary of VE Day we debated whether we would ‘fight on the beaches’, invoking Churchill’s famous phraseology, while others took inspiration from Severance in ‘This House believes labour has replaced life,’ and from Billy Joel in ‘This House believes that we didn’t start the fire.’ Our final debate took place in Fellows’ Garden, for our Greece-inspired ‘Socratic Soiree’ garden party in which members arrived donned in their best interpretation of a himation!
With Michaelmas yet to come, we are looking forward to welcoming Merton’s next cohort of debaters at our freshers’ debate in 0th Week. We are currently working alongside Oxford MP Layla Moran to organise a trip to Parliament for undergraduates as well as with Make Votes Matter to organise a joint debate in collaboration with Hertford and Brasenose on electoral reform. In our search for speakers, we are always grateful to hear from any alumni with political or current affairs experience and would welcome them to get involved with our Michaelmas term card by emailing neave.society@merton.ox.ac.uk.
It has been a pleasure this last year once again to offer Merton a place in which debate can take place free of judgement and not confined in thought. I have been indebted to the work of the society’s committee in helping that happen: Levente Vas, Aishia Simmons and Oscar Lambert (all 2023), Robert Foskett, Amelia Starky, Jonathan Berry and Henry Colegate (all 2024); and to the JCR Vice-President Lucia Ross (2023) who has proved invaluable to both the society and myself.
After our successful revival, we now look forward to seeing what the next year – and future committees – might hold.
Dylan W. Turner
Neave Society President 2024–25