The Catholic Union is launching a new series of events for 2023. The 'Pub Talks' series is aimed at Catholics with a background or interest in politics and public affairs. The events will be hosted at the Windsor Castle pub near Westminster Cathedral and provide an informal opportunity for networking and discussion, and the chance to hear from a guest speaker.  

The first Pub Talk is being held on Monday 23 January with Catholic peer, Lord Alton of Liverpool, being the inaugural guest speaker. Lord Alton will talk about his work campaigning against genocide, including a book he has written and a Private Members’ Bill currently going through Parliament.

The events will be held regularly throughout the year with other prominent public figures as guest speakers to be announced.

As well as the new Pub Talks series, the Catholic Union will also be hosting regular webinars throughout the year, giving people across the country the opportunity to take part in events.

This builds on the Catholic Union’s proud history of leading public discussion, including the annual Craigmyle Lecture which took place this year on Monday 28 November with Baroness Hollins. Lord Alton said:

“This is an excellent initiative from the Catholic Union. I hope I will be the first of many guest speakers at these events. There are huge challenges for anyone going into public life, which is why it is so important to have a strong support network. I encourage anyone with an interest in politics and social action to come along. This is a great opportunity to strengthen links between Catholic leaders of today and hopefully encourage some leaders of the future too.”

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James Somerville-Meikle, Deputy Director of the Catholic Union, commented:

‍“We’re very pleased to be launching this exciting new series of events. There are so many Catholics engaged in politics and public life in this country. We hope these gatherings will strengthen the network of people seeking to build the common good, and prove to be informative and enjoyable evenings. We’re extremely grateful to Lord Alton for agreeing to be our inaugural guest speaker. His life of public service is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through political action.”

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You can sign up for the Pub Talk on Monday 23 January here.

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The Catholic Union of Great Britain is a voluntary association of the Catholic laity in England, Wales and Scotland. Its purpose is to advocate, express and uphold, by all proper and legitimate means, Catholic moral and spiritual principles and interests, and promote a Christian standpoint in public affairs, regardless of political parties and affiliations. It has a special responsibility in those matters where the concern of Catholics requires representations to Parliament, Government Departments and Agencies, and to other public elected or appointed bodies.

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