Polly Toynbee | An Uneasy Inheritance
Sat 18 Nov 2023 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Polly Toynbee has lived her life on the privileged side of a class divide that she dedicates her professional work to eradicating. One of the most respected, prolific, and razor-sharp voices in social commentary, she uses the prism of her extraordinary family memoir to examine the true state of class in Britain.
In conversation with friend and fellow journalist Jackie Ashley.
Venue: TTP Stage (Cambridge Union)
Duration: 1 hour
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Author biography
Polly Toynbee is a journalist, author, and broadcaster. A Guardian columnist and broadcaster, she was formerly the BBC’s social affairs editor. She has written for the Observer, the Independent and Radio Times and been an editor at the Washington Monthly. She has won numerous awards including a National Press Award and the Orwell Prize for Journalism.
Chair biography
Jackie Ashley has been a political journalist for more than thirty years working for the BBC, ITN, Channel 4 News, the New Statesman and the Guardian. In 2015 she became President of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge, a post she held for three years. During her time at Cambridge, Jackie espoused several causes, including women in leadership, women in tech and women in sport, holding conferences and seminars and inviting guest speakers. Her leadership at the College was described as “inspirational”.
Jackie works with several charities, including Action on Hearing Loss and the Stroke Association. She is a Trustee of the Carers Trust, and spent a year as a full time carer after her husband suffered a serious stroke six years ago. She is one of the organisers of the annual Jack Ashley Memorial Lecture on disability which is held at Westminster.
Jackie is currently working as a consultant, advising a range of organisations including the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. She also sits on several committees at University College Hospital, advising the biomedical research council there, and helping the team developing the use of Artificial Intelligence in health care. Jackie is an experienced media consultant and a successful fund-raiser.
