Durham Union
| Predecessor | Durham University Debating Society (1835–39) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1842 |
| Type | Student debating union |
| Legal status | Registered charity |
| Headquarters | Durham, England |
| Location |
|
President | Joshua Doherty (Stephenson College) |
President-elect | Edward Tye (Grey College) |
| Affiliations | World Universities Debating Council |
| Website | dus |
Formerly called | Durham University Union (to 1873) |
The Durham Union Society (DUS), commonly referred to as the Durham Union, is a debating society, founded in 1842, by the students at Durham University. It is the largest society associated with the university, with over 3,000 members in residence, and 10,000 worldwide, and is the fourth oldest continuously running debating society in the UK. The society is private, existing independently from the university, and is distinct from the Durham Students' Union.
The Durham Union has hosted prominent figures such as former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Theresa May, actors Michael Palin and Jeremy Irons, actresses Imelda Staunton and Maggie Smith, members of the House of Lords, Baron Winston and Baroness Grey-Thompson, and television presenters Anton Du Beke and Jeremy Vine.
Previous presidents and members of the Union has gone on to hold prominence within the UK including former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, former Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland, former Chief of the General Staff The Lord Dannatt, Dominic Johnson the former co-chairman of the Conservative Party, and GB News presenter Tom Harwood.