Gabriel Latner, the second-year law student who gained notoriety after being banned from the Cambridge Union for allegedly verbally abusing a guest, has decided to stand for the position of Union President.

During the debate titled, "This House believes Israel is a rogue state," Latner reportedly told fellow proposition speaker Lauren Booth, “I’m going to nail you to the fucking wall up there.” Booth is a journalist and the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The comments resulted in current Union President James Counsell taking disciplinary action against Latner, by banning him from the Union.

Since then, Latner’s ban has been overturned and his membership has been reinstated, following his apology to Booth. Booth has reportedly not accepted the apology, which was sent after a deadline imposed by Counsell.

She has also been highly critical of the decision to reinstate Latner’s membership and to allow him to run for the position.

Defending his decision to reinstate Latner, Counsell commented, “I judged that the victim receiving an apology was of greater importance than sticking to an arbitrary deadline. As such, when Latner asked me to pass on his apology I was happy to do so, following which, as stipulated in my original ruling on the issue, his penalty was converted to a £30 fine.”

Latner’s decision to run for the presidency has taken many by surprise. According to one Union member, “I am not sure why he would want to run for an institution that banned him.”

In addition to Latner, Francesca Hill and Christian Gowers will also be standing for the Presidency. Hill is the current Executive Officer of the Union.

Considering Latner’s notoriety and Hill and Gowers’s previous involvement with the Union, the three-way race promises to be a close one.

Moreover, just a day after the candidates were announced, it appears Latner has already broken Union rules that prohibit any form of written campaigning, which includes giving interviews to the press.

Speaking to The Tab, Latner said, “The chamber has become a soap-box for unqualified, untalented celebrities to pontificate.

“Anyone who thinks we deserve better should vote for me, because my top priority will be improving the debates, and only inviting the best speakers to participate.”

Latner also added, “The Union is like Cripps Court. People on the inside think everything’s fine. But everyone on the outside can tell those buildings are ugly as sin.”

Varsity understands that Latner may be penalized for his comments and may incur a fine of up to 20 per cent of the first preference votes cast for him.

The election will take place this Friday. All Union members are eligible to vote, either online or in person at the Union .