A bid to break nearly two centuries of Conservative dominance at Oxford University is underway as Labour students campaign for former Business Secretary Peter Mandelson to become the next Chancellor. Lord Mandelson faces stiff competition from William Hague, the former Foreign Secretary who has also thrown his hat into the ring in what promises to be a closely contested election.
The contest follows Chris Patten's announcement that he will retire after two decades at the helm. Traditionally, the Chancellorship has been held by retired Conservative politicians, but Labour students are determined to challenge this trend with the help of online voting, which allows over 250,000 Oxford graduates and staff to cast their ballots – a significant increase from around 6,000 in 2003.
Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) has launched an extensive digital campaign, sifting through archival records to contact alumni via social media platforms like X and LinkedIn. They have also reached out to Labour MPs who are Oxford alumni, many of whom are understood to be supportive of the initiative. This broad outreach aims to galvanise support for a Labour candidate and significantly expand the electorate.
Co-chair Tom Taborn highlighted the historic nature of this election: "For nearly 200 years, Conservatives have dominated Oxford's Chancellorship. But online voting offers us a genuine chance to elect our first Labour Chancellor – it's an opportunity we cannot afford to miss."
The OULC believes a Labour Chancellor could play a crucial role in promoting higher education to a sympathetic government and influencing the national discourse surrounding universities. This is particularly pertinent given the current financial pressures facing UK universities, with up to 40% of English institutions at risk of facing deficits or even closure due to factors such as frozen tuition fees and declining international student applications.