University of Glasgow Rectorial Election, 2001

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The 2001 election for the post of Rector of the University of Glasgow was caused by the resignation of the previous rector, Ross Kemp on November 7, 2000. He had been elected in 1999 and the next election was not scheduled until 2002, but the resignation prompted an early election being held on February 28, 2001.

Initially it seemed as though there would be five candidates, with the artist and novelist Alasdair Gray confirmed as the candidate of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association; the actor and comedia Greg Hemphill nominated by the Glasgow University Labour Club; Stuart Murdoch of the band Belle & Sebastian; Karen Dunbar, who was a colleague of Hemphill's from the television show Chewin' the Fat; and Norman Blake of the band Teenage Fanclub. However, early on Blake withdrew in favour of Murdoch, and Dunbar, who had been nominated by the University's Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay and Trans-gender Society withdrew late in the race, although her name did appear on the ballot papers as she left it too late to have it withdrawn.

The campaign was characterised by a good degree of friendliness, and was not as bitter as that which had taken two years before, when the supporters of Kemp and Ian Hamilton QC fought each other on much more fraught terms. Belle and Sebastian did a free concert in support of Murdoch's candidacy. However, it was clear that Gray and Hemphill were the front runners, and at this concert, Murdoch urged his supporters to back Gray with their second preference votes.

Gray's campaign also attracted the active support of the Scottish Socialist Youth organisation at the university.

The result was very close, with Hemphill eventually coming victorious over Gray by 101 votes.