The University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School will be playing host to the new BBC Radio 4 debate series “Devil’s Advocate” on Monday, May 10th.

The series, which is hosted by David Aaronovitch, invites two renowned guest speakers to debate a controversial topic. However, the condition is that the speakers must take the side that is contrary to their established views on the topic.

The motion for the debate on Monday is: “The War on Terror can only truly be defeated by ignoring it in our everyday lives.” According to the programme, “the debate will explore the strategies and ideologies behind the war on terror: is it real or a construct made by governments, and if so, for what gains?”

Speaking in favour of the motion will be Geoff Hoon, former Secretary of State for Defence under Tony Blair. Hoon was Defence Secretary at the time of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Speaking against the motion will be Jamie Bartlett, a Senior Researcher at DEMOS think-tank, where he also heads the Violence and Extremism Programme.

The inspiration behind the Devil’s Advocate series is to encourage people to consider opposing viewpoints. Speakers are given two weeks to prepare their arguments. At the end of the debate, they are asked to reflect on their experience, and whether it changed their established views.

The motion for the previous debate in the series, which was also recorded at Cambridge, was: “Celebrities have no automatic rights to a private life.” TV presenter John Leslie spoke in favour of the motion, while columnist and writer Toby Young spoke against it.

Tickets for Monday’s debate can be reserved by contacting info@whistledown.net or calling 0207 407 8001. Admission is free. The debate starts at 7:30 pm and will record until 9 pm.