Union president in new row

5:50pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

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The president of the Oxford Union is facing a reprimand after providing financial favours to the undergraduate son of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Joshua Roche allowed Bilawal Bhutto and other friends to hold a party in Union rooms free of charge, a disciplinary committee of the debating society has heard.

The tribunal found that "the defendant abused his office by virtue of his allowing members to host parties in the Society's buildings without paying for room hire".

Normally, students must pay a £900 hire charge, reduced to £450 for members.

Mr Roche was cleared of two separate counts brought against him over ` famous speakers who were promoted as having been due to attend Union debates, but who failed to materialise.

The tribunal heard evidence alleging that Mr Roche had placed names on the official programme without even contacting the individuals to ask if they would be guest speakers.

But after a lengthy hearing at the weekend, members decided he was not guilty.

The 21-year-old president is now rumoured to be facing a vote of no confidence from members, who said they felt Roche was making a mockery of the 165-year-old society, which boasts Boris Johnson, Tony Benn and Michael Heseltine among its former presidents.

One woman final year student said: "Union members feel incredibly let down. It has quite a bad reputation at the best of times — look at last year when Nick Griffin of the BNP was invited to speak.

"People paid up to £190 to join the Society on the basis a number of famous speakers would be invited, but they have not materialised."

The committee is yet to decide how Roche will be punished, but he is expected to be fined.

The maximum penalty for breaches of rules is said to be £500.

Bilawal Bhutto, whose mother Benazir was assassinated in Pakistan last year, received the free use of a room on October 18, when he held a joint 20th birthday party with a student named Maria Paz Mendez Hodes.

Saving £450 on the cost of the room, Mr Bhutto— who attends Christ Church, the same college as Mr Roche — and Ms Hodes were said to have spent £700 on drinks for 150 guests and £300 on security.

Mr Roche denied charges that he advertised famous speakers to freshers joining the Union in the hope of hearing celebrities and politicians speak.

He told students at the prestigious debating society that Ukrainian president Viktor Yuschenko, former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing and film star Jude Law had been lined up.

The committee cleared him on that count and on a separate charge of submitting false information to an external sponsor.

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