Lord Christopher Patten on Oxford and Higher Education, Hong Kong and China, and the Future of Conservatism

Oxford Policy Pod

Lord Christopher Patten is the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, having served in the role since 2003. Lord Patten was the 28th and final British Governor of Hong Kong, who oversaw its handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997, symbolically marking the end of the British Empire. Lord Patten was also a Conservative Member of the UK Parliament from 1979-1992, where, as Conservative Party Chairman from 1990-1992, he was credited with architecting the election of the Major Government.

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with Lord Patten about:

• His lifelong relationship with Oxford University
• The state of higher education in the United Kingdom - including freedom of speech on campus and the rise of cancel
• The Israel-Hamas war, and the University of Oxford's response to recent student protests and demands, and his work with Medical Aid for Palestinians
• Lord Patten’s Governorship of Hong Kong and the 1997 handover
• The current political situation in Hong Kong and the erosion of civil and political rights, and hope for Hong Kong's future
• The rise of China and its increasing authoritarianism
• Reflections on the recent 14 years of Tory rule in Britain, and
• The future of right of centre political movements in the United Kingdom