Enter Gina Miller, a household name for her legal challenges to all things Brexit, who is taking center stage. She is currently running to become Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. With the election date growing closer, she regularly reaches out to former and current students, professors, and scholars. Together, they brainstorm solutions to the most pressing issues on campus. Public trauma and scrutiny Miller’s candidacy comes amid a backdrop of personal trauma and public scrutiny that has followed her since 2016.
In each of these conversations, Miller is candid about her own emotional difficulties. So to this day she carries with her a traumatic experience from 38 years prior. Even today, the memory of that night still stirs painful emotions, showcasing the lasting effects that her trauma has had on her life.
Since coming into the national spotlight in 2016 with the legal fight she endured, Miller has been the target of harsh criticism. She was the original claimant who challenged the government’s right to trigger Article 50 with no approval from parliament. In 2019, Jillian had pioneered solidifying a no-deal Brexit through her successful challenge to Boris Johnson’s move to prorogue parliament. Despite these victories, she has endured a relentless wave of public vitriol, which she attributes to the toxic political climate surrounding Brexit.
Miller’s candidacy began taking shape in February, when a cohort of Cambridge professors encouraged her to run for chancellor. Initially, she was reluctant, assuming the position was limited to alumni only. Then she found out that it didn’t have to be that way, and she reconsidered her decision.
Reflecting on her motivations for entering the race, Miller stated, “I told them I wasn’t interested in taking on a ceremonial role. I only want to do something that has a real impact because I think our country, and the world in fact, is at a particularly traumatic time in history.”
Her personal life has repeatedly been defined by struggle as well. But Miller’s obstacles did not end with her marriage to Kamille. She did eventually find lasting love with her third husband Alan, with whom she had two children, Eric and Sadie. But then she encountered another obstacle, being diagnosed with breast cancer in September. Even more complicated was the recent confirmation of a rare genetic mutation. Unfortunately, this mutation, called PALB2, only occurs in 1-2% of breast cancer patients.
I was diagnosed in September of last year,” Miller, 24, said. “Actually, I should say ‘self-diagnosed’. I had an instinct that something was wrong with one of my breasts. At first the GP kept trying to send me home but on my fourth visit they finally gave in and agreed to do a biopsy.
As part of her treatment plan, Miller has chosen to undergo additional surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Her journey through cancer has been arduous, but she is an upbeat person by nature. “I’m only just able to drink coffee again after my chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, which is amazing,” she shared.
It’s her commitment to equity and social issues that really shines through, her advocacy for ending domestic violence and modern-day slavery and online abuse. This rich personal history has led Miller to rethink institutional leadership and responsibility, especially within institutions like Cambridge. She expressed concern over complacency in university leadership and highlighted various issues, stating, “The word that keeps coming up is complacency. Cambridge really needs leadership. Its ranking has slipped, and it needs to resolve the issues it’s facing.”
Beyond campaigning to be chancellor, Miller is targeting a parliamentary seat in Epsom and Ewell for the 2024 election. She is intending to do this standing as the leader of her own political party, True and Fair. While she was ultimately unsuccessful, losing her deposit in the process, the battle to bring change is still very much alive in her spirit.
Miller has been outspoken about the need for reform within the state university system. She’s convinced that for leadership to truly be transformative, it’ll need to tackle bullying and harassment in schools and create a culture welcoming of neurodiverse folks. “That is not good, especially when you have so many neurodiverse individuals. We need to tap into that brilliance, but that has to come with care and support,” she remarked.
Miller is approaching her candidacy and health challenges with the spirit of a fighter. She finds inspiration in her father, Doodnauth Singh, who inspired her as she watched him rise from humble roots to become attorney general of Guyana. His legacy of resilience continues to inspire Miller to commune with her community, to fight for justice and equity.
Other critics say that Cambridge would be better served by a high-profile appointment to restore the city’s national profile. According to Miller, this is precisely the wrong approach. “If Cambridge needs a high-profile or celebrity chancellor to be noticed, we might as well give up and rebrand the university as a reality TV show: ‘Keeping Up With the Cantabrigians’,” she quipped.