Oxford University Liberal Democrats
Encyclopedia
| Founded | 1913 (as Oxford University Liberal Club ) |
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| Home Page | www.oulibdems.org.uk |
Honorary officers |
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| Patron | Evan Harris Evan Harris Evan Leslie Harris is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative Nicola Blackwood.... , Wadham Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I... |
Current committee |
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| Co-chair | Benjamin Maconick, Keble College Keble College, Oxford Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall... |
| Co-chair | Oliver Park, University College University College, Oxford .University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m... |
| Secretary | Jon-Paul Spencer, University College University College, Oxford .University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m... |
| Campaigns Officer | Doug Hale, Ruskin College |
| Treasurer | Joe Kelly, University College University College, Oxford .University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m... |
| Press and Publicity Officer | Rio Jones, Hertford College Hertford College, Oxford Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting... |
| Social and Events Officer | Anna Birley, Trinity College Trinity College, Oxford The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,... |
| Sister society | Cambridge Student Liberal Democrats Cambridge Student Liberal Democrats Cambridge Student Liberal Democrats is the student branch of the Liberal Democrats for students at both Cambridge University and the Anglia Ruskin University campus in Cambridge... |
Oxford University Liberal Democrats (OULD) is the student branch of the Liberal Democrats for students at both the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
. Previously called the Oxford Student Liberal Society, it is the successor to both Oxford University Liberal Club and Oxford University Social Democrats (founded in 1981), which voted to merge early in 1987, about a year in advance of the national parties.
History
As the OU Liberal Club was founded in 1913, OULD is amongst the oldest political clubs at British universities. It was formed from a merger of two older LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
societies at Oxford, the Russell Club, and the Palmerston Club, both of which dated to at least the 1870s.
Elections
Its members are active in local campaigns, especially in parliamentary elections. Towards the late twentieth century, Oxford West and Abingdon was a Conservative – Liberal Democrat marginal. It returned Dr Evan HarrisEvan Harris
Evan Leslie Harris is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative Nicola Blackwood....
from 1997 until 2010, when he was defeated by Nicola Blackwood
Nicola Blackwood
Nicola Claire Blackwood is a Conservative Party politician. She was elected as Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2010 election.-Political career:...
, a Conservative candidate. Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. At the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, there was an 11.2% swing towards the Lib Dems in Oxford East, which had traditionally been a safe Labour seat. The margin of victory for Andrew Smith in 2005 was 963 votes - a 90% decrease from 2001. However, at the 2010 general election, Andrew Smith achieved a 4.1% swing in his favour, holding the seat for Labour by a margin of 4,581 votes.
Social events
The society organises social events each term, and attracts well-known Liberal Democrat speakers to address its members. Recent visitors have included Nick CleggNick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
, Chris Huhne
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul-Huhne, generally known as Chris Huhne is a British politician and cabinet minister, who is the current Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire...
, Lynne Featherstone
Lynne Featherstone
Lynne Choona Featherstone , is a British Liberal Democrat politician, and the Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green....
, Shirley Williams, and Lord McNally
Thomas McNally, Baron McNally
Tom McNally, Baron McNally, PC is a British politician and the current Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and a Minister of State for Justice.-Early life:...
. The society also organises policy debates and forums with other political societies in Oxford.
Alumni
Some former members of the society and its predecessors have gone on to have notable careers, including:- Danny AlexanderDanny AlexanderDaniel Grian Alexander is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been Chief Secretary to the Treasury since 2010. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency since 2005....
, Lib Dem MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and StrathspeyInverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency)Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
since 2005 - Clement AttleeClement AttleeClement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, later LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, 1945–1951 - Alec BeechmanAlec BeechmanNevil Alexander Beechman was a National Liberal Party politician in England.He was elected to the House of Commons at his first attempt, when he won the June 1937 by-election in the St Ives constituency in Cornwall after the National Liberal MP Walter Runciman was elevated to the peerage as...
, Liberal Club President 1919-20, National Liberal MP 1937-50 - Alan BeithAlan BeithSir Alan James Beith is a British Liberal Democrat politician and Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed.-Early life:Alan Beith was born in 1943 in Poynton, in Cheshire...
, Lib Dem MP for Berwick upon TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)Berwick-upon-Tweed is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
since 1973 - Frank ByersFrank ByersCharles Frank Byers, Baron Byers, OBE, PC, DL was a British Liberal Party politician.Byers was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, moved with the family to Potters Bar and was educated at Westminster School, later Christ Church, Oxford where he won a Blue for athletics...
, Liberal Club President in 1935, Liberal MP for North Dorset, 1945–1950, later Leader of the Liberal peers in the House of Lords - Benazir BhuttoBenazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, Prime Minister of PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 1988-1990 & 1993-1996 - Ed Davey, Lib Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997
- Robin DayRobin DaySir Robin Day, OBE was a British political broadcaster and commentator. His obituary in the Guardian stated that "he was the most outstanding television journalist of his generation...
, television interviewer and political broadcaster - Dingle FootDingle FootSir Dingle Mackintosh Foot, Q.C. was a British lawyer and politician, born in Plymouth, Devon.-Education and career:...
, Liberal Club Secretary in 1926 and President in 1927, Liberal MP for DundeeDundee (UK Parliament constituency)Dundee was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1950, when it was split into Dundee East and Dundee West....
, 1931–1945, and LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP for IpswichIpswich (UK Parliament constituency)Ipswich is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, 1951–1970 - John FootJohn Foot, Baron FootJohn Mackintosh Foot, Baron Foot was a Liberal politician and Life Peer.Foot was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of Isaac Foot and the brother of Sir Dingle Foot, QC, Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon and Michael Foot. His nephew was the late journalist Paul Foot...
, Liberal Club President in 1930, Liberal politician and peer. - Michael FootMichael FootMichael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
, Liberal Club President in 1934, cabinet minister 1974-9, Labour party leader 1980-3 - Paul FootPaul FootPaul Mackintosh Foot was a British investigative journalist, political campaigner, author, and long-time member of the Socialist Workers Party...
, Liberal Club President in 1960, journalist - Andrew George, Lib Dem MP for St IvesSt Ives (UK Parliament constituency)St. Ives is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
since 1997 - John Gray, Liberal Club President in 1967, philosopher
- Jo Grimond, Liberal MP for Orkney and ShetlandOrkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
and Leader of the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, 1956–1967 - Duncan HamesDuncan HamesDuncan John Hames is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Chippenham constituency in Wiltshire since the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
, Lib Dem MP for ChippenhamChippenham (UK Parliament constituency)Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
since 2010 - Evan HarrisEvan HarrisEvan Leslie Harris is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative Nicola Blackwood....
, OULD President in 1987, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon 1997-2010 - Stephen HawkingStephen HawkingStephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
, physicist - David Heath, Lib Dem MP for Somerton and Frome since 1997
- John HemmingJohn Hemming (politician)John Alexander Melvin Hemming is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley and Group Chair of the Liberal Democrats on the city council of Birmingham, England....
, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2005 - Martin HorwoodMartin HorwoodMartin Charles Horwood is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Cheltenham constituency. He is the founder and current Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tribal Peoples.-Early life:He was born in St. Paul’s, Cheltenham, in 1962. His parents...
, Liberal Club President in 1983, Lib Dem MP for Cheltenham since 2005 - Susan KramerSusan KramerSusan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She was Member of Parliament for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010, having been an unsuccessful candidate in the London mayoral election in 2000....
, Lib Dem 2000 London mayoral candidate and MP for Richmond ParkRichmond Park (UK Parliament constituency)Richmond Park is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History and character:...
since 2005 - Keith KyleKeith KyleKeith Kyle was a British writer, broadcaster and historian.Educated at Bromsgrove School and Magdalen College, Oxford University, where his period as an undergraduate was broken by war service. He worked for the BBC North American Service as a talks producer, succeeding Tony Benn in 1951...
, Liberal Club President in 1949, journalist - Eric Lubbock, winner of the Orpington by-electionOrpington by-election, 1962The Orpington by-election of 1962 is often described as the start of the Liberal Party revival in the United Kingdom.The election was caused by the appointment of Donald Sumner, Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Orpington as a County Court Judge...
, and Liberal MP, 1962–1970 - Lord Razzall, Lib Dem campaign strategist
- Nick St AubynNick St AubynNicholas Francis St Aubyn, known as Nick St Aubyn is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, Liberal Club Secretary in 1975, ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for GuildfordGuildford (UK Parliament constituency)Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
1997-2001 - Matthew Taylor, Lib Dem MP for Truro and St AustellTruro and St Austell (UK Parliament constituency)Truro and St Austell was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
1987-2010 - Jeremy ThorpeJeremy ThorpeJohn Jeremy Thorpe is a British former politician who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976 and was the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979. His political career was damaged when an acquaintance, Norman Scott, claimed to have had a love affair with Thorpe at a time...
, Liberal Club President in 1950, Liberal MP for North DevonNorth Devon (UK Parliament constituency)North Devon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election....
1959-1979, and Leader of the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, 1967–1976 - Liz Truss, OULD President in 1993, Conservative MP for South West Norfolk since 2010
- Paul Tyler, Liberal Club Secretary in 1962, Liberal MP for BodminBodmin (UK Parliament constituency)Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
February-October 1974, Liberal Democrat MP for North CornwallNorth Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)North Cornwall is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
1992-2005 - Helen Wallace (née Rushworth), Lady Wallace of SaltaireHelen WallaceDame Helen Sarah Wallace, Lady Wallace of Saltaire, DBE, CMG, FBA , née Rushworth, is a British expert in European Studies and, by marriage to William Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire, a peeress....
, Liberal Club President in 1965, academic - Steve WebbSteve WebbSteven John Webb, better known as Steve Webb , is an English Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Thornbury & Yate and the Minister of State for Pensions.-Background:...
, Lib Dem MP for Northavon since 1997 - Harold WilsonHarold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, Liberal Club Treasurer in 1935, later the LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, 1964–1970 and 1974–1976
Recent Presidents of OULD
- 2011 Ed Watson, Ori; James King, Univ; Robin Max McGhee, StA
- 2010 Emily Baxter, New; Caroline Lester, Wad; David Freeborn, StH
- 2009 James Schneider, Tri; Mark Mills, SEH; Hengameh Ziai, StJ
- 2008 Joe Ammoun, SEH; Martin Nelson, LMH; Jonny Medland, Qns
- 2007 Christopher Stanley, StC; Alex Worsnip, StA; Katherine Wall, LMH
- 2006 Sam Rowlands, Wor; John Colgan, Qns; Julian Naden-Robinson, ChCh
- 2005 Kate Mieske, Wad; Frederik Herzberg, Mer; Joe Chick, CCC
- 2004 Steve Harper, CCC; Tom Lavercombe, Trin; Jon Bochenski, RPC
- 2003 Chris Williams, Som; Tom Wainwright, StJ; Dave White, Wad
- 2002 Philip Thompson, Bal; Chris Hanretty, StA; Louise Radnovsky, Univ
- 2001 Adam Killeya, Bal; Robin Gray, StB
- 2000 Nicholas Graham, ChCh/Jennifer Joslin, ChCh; Laura Davies, Keb; Daniel Griliopoulos, Mag
- 1999 Jane Blumer, SHI; Nina Percival; Wad; Lucinda Johnson, SHI
- 1998 Philip Reicherstorfer, Mfd; Alison Hughes, Som; Kate Treleaven, Ext
- 1997 James Chard, LMH; Andrew Hazlewood, LMH; Neil Carberry, LMH
- 1996 Roger Crouch, StH; Senay Boztas, Ext; Tim Ward, Univ
- 1995 Elizabeth TrussElizabeth TrussElizabeth Mary Truss , also known as Liz Truss, is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk since the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
, Mer; Alan Renwick, Mer; Nick John, Univ - 1994 Andrew Sweeting, Univ; Gordon Woods, StJ; Richard Renaut, StA
- 1993 Angus Ritchie, Magd; Mark Egan, Univ; Aidan Thomson, Magd