Summary: Lawrence James: Author of "Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India", "Rise and Fall of the British Empire" and "Warrior Race: A History of the British at War". Professor Niall Ferguson: Writer and presenter of 'Empire' for Channel 4, a 6-part series on the history of the British Empire and Professor of Political and Financial History at Oxford University. Andrew Roberts: Historian who has spent 20 years researching, writing and broadcasting extensively about both Churchill and the Second World War. Speakers against the motion: Dr Richard Drayton: University Lecturer in Imperial and extra-European History since 1500, Cambridge University. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Senior Researcher at the Foreign Policy Centre and a leading commentator on race, multiculturalism and human rights. David Washbrook: Reader in Modern South Asian History at Oxford University; his special interesting lying in the history of southern India between the 18th and 20th centuries. Chair: Richard Lindley: Former journalist with ITN and BBC Panorama, who now writes about television journalism. Final vote: 321 For, 233 Against
