14 June 2006

2006 Discovery Lecture - Edwina Currie to reveal "Why Policitians Lie"

Edwina Currie, the colourful former MP turned writer and media personality, promises to lift the lid on one of politicians’ most compulsive habits when she delivers the 2006 Discovery Lecture at the University of Dundee on Saturday June 24th.

Edwina’s lecture is titled "Lies, Damned Lies and Politicians: Why Do Politicians Lie?". Given her long Parliamentary career, including her years as a Cabinet Minister, it may be safe to assume that she has acquired a working knowledge of her subject matter!

The lecture, which is hosted by the University’s Graduates’ Council, takes place in the Bonar Hall at 3 pm on Saturday June 24th. Tickets are free and are available from the Tower reception at the University.

The lecture is preceded by the annual meeting of Graduates’ Council, which is open to all university graduates. It takes place from 1 pm in Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA). Anyone wishing to attend should contact Barbara Boyle in the University Alumni Relations office, telephone 01382 384822 or e-mail alumni@dundee.ac.uk by June 19th.

Edwina Currie was a Conservative MP from 1983 to 1997 and served in the Department of Health in Margaret Thatcher’s Government from 1986 to 1988. She became famous for her campaigns on heart disease, women's cancer screening and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. She was also involved in the first AIDS campaign in the UK that saved many lives.

She resigned over food safety (salmonella) in December 1988, and turned down John Major's request to return to government in 1992.

She left politics after the 1997 election and has since established two new careers, as a writer of novels and non-fiction and as a broadcaster and media personality. She has hosted shows on TV and radio and made memorable appearances on both "Hell’s Kitchen" and "Celebrity Mastermind".

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk