Political competition has become 'increasingly vicious and increasingly unreal', Lord Waldegrave of North Hilll said in a wide-ranging lecture at the University last night [29 October].

The lecture, called 'Restoring trust in politics', covered everything from MPs' expenses to the role of the media in politics and the effects of 'slash-and-burn campaigning'.

The event was the 15th in the University's series of 18 public lectures to mark the centenary.

William Waldegrave is Provost of Eton College and a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1979 to 1997, representing the Bristol West constituency. He was a Minister for 16 years.

A recording of the lecture will be available from the centenary website next week.