University of Oxford Chancellor election, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor
, Roy Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead
on 5 January 2003.
holding the rank of MA. Votes had to be cast in person at Oxford. To stand a candidate had to be nominated by two MAs.
It was the first such election to be held in which voters were not required to wear academic dress
to vote. It was also the first election to use the single transferable vote
, after the previous election by first past the post in 1987 saw two conservative candidates (Robert Blake, Baron Blake
and Sir Edward Heath
) splitting the conservative vote at 2,500 each, allowing social democrat Roy Jenkins
to win with just 3,500 votes.
William Hill
offered odds of 7/4 for Mr Patten, 9/4 for Lord Bingham, 11/4 for Lord Neill, and 3/1 for Toksvig.
Sandi Toksvig was the candidate most vociferously opposed to the government's proposed top-up fees
, and so received the endorsement of the Oxford University Student Union
. However, as most of the union's members were undergraduates, they did not have a vote in the election itself. Lord Neill also declared himself opposed to top-up fees, but said in his candidates' statement that he preferred not to make this the basis of his campaign.
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
, Roy Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
on 5 January 2003.
Electorate
The electorate consisted of all members of the UniversityUniversity 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...
holding the rank of MA. Votes had to be cast in person at Oxford. To stand a candidate had to be nominated by two MAs.
It was the first such election to be held in which voters were not required to wear academic dress
Academic dress of the University of Oxford
The University of Oxford has a long tradition of academic dress, and a visitor to Oxford during term will see academic dress worn on a regular basis.- When academic dress is worn :...
to vote. It was also the first election to use the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
, after the previous election by first past the post in 1987 saw two conservative candidates (Robert Blake, Baron Blake
Robert Blake, Baron Blake
Robert Norman William Blake, Baron Blake was an English historian. He is best known for his 1966 biography of Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, and for The Conservative Party from Peel to Churchill, which grew out of his 1968 Ford lectures...
and Sir Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
) splitting the conservative vote at 2,500 each, allowing social democrat Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
to win with just 3,500 votes.
Candidates
Four candidates were nominated:- Lord Bingham of CornhillThomas Bingham, Baron Bingham of CornhillThomas Henry Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill, KG PC QC FBA , was a British judge and jurist. He served in the highest judicial offices of the United Kingdom as Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice and as Senior Law Lord before his retirement, when he focused his work as a teacher and lecturer...
, 69, senior Law Lord, former Lord Chief Justice and former Master of the RollsMaster of the RollsThe Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal... - Lord Neill of Bladen QCPatrick Neill, Baron Neill of BladenFrancis Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen QC is a cross bench member of the House of Lords.Educated at Highgate School and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was Warden of All Souls College, Oxford from 1977 until 1995, where he has been an Honorary Fellow since 1995. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford...
, 76, former Warden of All SoulsAll Souls College, OxfordThe Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
, former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, and former Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public LifeCommittee on Standards in Public LifeThe Committee on Standards in Public Life is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom Government.The Committee on Standards in Public Life is constituted as a standing body with its members appointed for up to three years.-History:... - Lord Patten of BarnesChris PattenChristopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
, 58, European Union CommissionerEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
for external affairs, former cabinet minister and last GovernorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... - Sandi ToksvigSandi ToksvigSandra Brigitte “Sandi” Toksvig is a Danish comedian, author and presenter on British radio and television.-Career:...
, 44, stand-up comedian and broadcaster
The campaign
For much of the race, Chris Patten was generally considered to be the front-runner, due to his high profile as the last Governor of Hong Kong. The bookmakerBookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
William Hill
William Hill (bookmaker)
William Hill plc is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in the north London suburb of Wood Green and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
offered odds of 7/4 for Mr Patten, 9/4 for Lord Bingham, 11/4 for Lord Neill, and 3/1 for Toksvig.
Sandi Toksvig was the candidate most vociferously opposed to the government's proposed top-up fees
Top-up fees
Tuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 as a means of funding tuition to undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities, with students being required to pay up to £1,000 a year for tuition...
, and so received the endorsement of the Oxford University Student Union
Oxford University Student Union
The Oxford University Student Union is the official students' union of the University of Oxford. It is better known in Oxford by its acronym, OUSU . It exists to represent Oxford University students in the University's decision-making, to act as the voice for students in the national higher...
. However, as most of the union's members were undergraduates, they did not have a vote in the election itself. Lord Neill also declared himself opposed to top-up fees, but said in his candidates' statement that he preferred not to make this the basis of his campaign.
Result
Polling ran over two days, on 14 and 15 March 2003. The results went to two rounds before one candidate finally secured more than 50% of the vote.First round
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Patten Chris Patten Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust.... |
3,657 | 43.66 | |
| Lord Bingham | 2,251 | 26.87 | |
| Lord Neill Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen Francis Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen QC is a cross bench member of the House of Lords.Educated at Highgate School and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was Warden of All Souls College, Oxford from 1977 until 1995, where he has been an Honorary Fellow since 1995. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford... |
1,290 | 15.40 | |
| Sandi Toksvig Sandi Toksvig Sandra Brigitte “Sandi” Toksvig is a Danish comedian, author and presenter on British radio and television.-Career:... |
1,179 | 14.07 | |
| Turnout | 8,377 | ||
| Sandi Toksvig eliminated | |||
Second round
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Patten Chris Patten Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust.... |
4,203 | 51.53 | |
| Lord Bingham | 2,483 | 30.44 | |
| Lord Neill Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen Francis Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen QC is a cross bench member of the House of Lords.Educated at Highgate School and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was Warden of All Souls College, Oxford from 1977 until 1995, where he has been an Honorary Fellow since 1995. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford... |
1,470 | 18.02 | |
| Turnout | 8,156 | ||
| Chris Patten elected | |||
See also
- University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1925University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1925The 1925 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston on 20 March 1925.-Electorate:...
- University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1960University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1960The 1960 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Lord Halifax on 23 December 1959. It was the first election for Oxford Chancellor to be contested since 1925.-Electorate:...
- University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1987University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1987The 1987 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton on 29 December 1986.-Electorate:...
- University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 2011University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 2011The University of Cambridge held an election for the position of Chancellor in October 2011, resulting in the choice of Lord Sainsbury of Turville to succeed the retiring incumbent Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke had retired on 30 June 2011, shortly after his 90th birthday, having been...
- List of Chancellors of the University of Oxford