Oxford University Conservative Association

Oxford University Conservative Association
Founded 1924
Former Patron Baroness Thatcher (deceased), Somerville College
Honorary President William Hague MP, Magdalen College
President Maryam Ahmed, Wolfson College
Home page http://www.ouconservatives.com

The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student political organisation founded in 1924, whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford. Since October 2009, OUCA has been affiliated to Conservative Future, the Conservative Party youth wing. Until her death on 8 April 2013, the Patron of the association was Margaret Thatcher. The Honorary President is William Hague.

OUCA alumni include many prominent Conservative Party figures, including former Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers. Among them are William Hague, Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Grieve. Past presidents of OUCA include Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, Jonathan Aitken, William Rees-Mogg, Daniel Hannan and Nick Robinson. Former OUCA committee members or officers include Theresa May, Sir George Young, Ann Widdecombe, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the Earl of Dartmouth. Labour ministers Ed Balls and Chris Bryant are also OUCA alumni.[1]

Committee

OUCA is run by its officers and committee, who are elected each term. OUCA's returning officer is responsible for running the elections and for administering association's internal disciplinary procedures. The President may appoint non-executive officers, such as a press officer.

Events

OUCA events and activities vary considerably, depending on the president and committee, but all activities follow four main strands; Port and Policy; speaker meetings; campaigning; and social events.

Port and Policy

OUCA's most popular regular event is Port and Policy, in which political discussion is helped along by fortified wine. Between Trinity Term 1994 and Michaelmas 2012, Port and Policy was held eight times a term on Sunday evenings in the Oxford Union. In Michaelmas 2012 the Oxford Union did not renew the contract,[2] and OUCA now uses other Oxford venues. Although the format is decided by the president and the political officer, two pre-announced motions are usually debated, followed by an emergency motion. The debate is held in a relaxed environment, accompanied by port. In May 2007, Port and Policy featured in the Channel 4 documentary Make Me a Tory. Port and Policy has been sponsored by The Spectator, who provided numerous complimentary copies of their publication, and Dow's Port, who provided discounted port. The growth in attendance at Port and Policy was featured in the Financial Times as evidence of growing popularity for the Conservatives among students.[3]

Speaker Meetings

The president of the association is responsible for organising the term's events and inviting guest speakers. Recent speakers include Margaret Thatcher (November 2002), John Major (April 2010), David Cameron (May 2008), Nigel Lawson (November 2011), Michael Howard (February 2007 and June 2008), Liam Fox (October 2011), Michael Ancram, Edward Leigh, George Osborne, Alan Duncan, John Redwood, Ann Widdecombe, David Davis, the Earl of Onslow, Iain Duncan Smith, David Willetts, Oliver Letwin, Lord Patten, Brian Mawhinney (October 2012), Daniel Hannan (October 2012), Jeremy Hunt (October 2012), and Andrew Lansley (November 2012).

Campaigning

OUCA often campaigns in local and general elections in other constituencies.[4] During the 2010 British General Election, OUCA campaigned in Oxford West and Abingdon, where the Conservative candidate, Nicola Blackwood, overturned the Liberal Democrat MP, Evan Harris, by a small majority. OUCA now carries out various campaign duties for Blackwood. OUCA campaigned in London in support of Boris Johnson for the 2012 London mayoral election.

Social events

Although social arrangements are left to the discretion of the president and the social secretary, they usually include a party, a garden party in Trinity term, and trips to London to visit Parliament, the theatre or gentlemen's clubs. In Trinity term there are occasional sporting fixtures against the Oxford Union and Cambridge University Conservative Association. From time to the time the association also hosts events with Conservative think tanks and pressure groups, recently including the Freedom Association,[5] the Army Benevolent Fund and the Adam Smith Institute.

Relationship with the national Conservative Party

Until recently, OUCA was an independent organisation, and not part of the national Conservative Party, nor of its youth wing, Conservative Future. Relations between OUCA and the national party were weak. For example, OUCA (like Cambridge University Conservative Association, Durham University Conservative Association and University of York Conservative and Unionist Association ) was automatically treated as separate from Conservative Future when the latter was founded in 1998. After various unfavourable reports in the national press, Conservative Party Central Office was normally quick to distance itself from OUCA. On 6 October 2009, however, the association voted to become affiliated to the Conservative Party, and it is now an official representative branch of Conservative Future.

In March 2010, an OUCA event in support of Oxford West parliamentary candidate Nicola Blackwood was used to launch Conservative Future's national Time to Get Involved campaign.[6]

OUCA members sometimes stand for election to Oxford City Council. The Council has traditionally been Labour-dominated, and the Conservatives have not held a seat on it since 2001. Alex Stafford (President, Michaelmas 2007) stood unsuccessfully for Holywell Ward in the 2008 Oxford City Council Election, achieving an 8.2% swing for the Conservatives. His brother Gregory, now a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing, stood for OUCA in the same ward in 2004.

Breakaway groups and re-mergers

Julian Critchley described the OUCA that he encountered on his arrival at Pembroke College in 1951. Despite its 2,000 members, he said, "it was dominated by a patrician clique who preserved their power by preventing the membership at large from electing officers of the Association. These were chosen by the Committee which, although directly elected, was easily open to manipulation." Critchley and Michael Heseltine, defeated in their bids for OUCA office, set up a rival Conservative society, the Blue Ribbon Club.[7]

In 1965 a group of OUCA members formed the Oxford University Tory Reform Group, pre-dating the national Tory Reform Group organisation. The OUTRG acted as a "one nation conservative" pressure group in Oxford, although it had a substantially smaller membership than OUCA. Interest declined as the national party became more moderate, and the OUTRG voted to disband and merge with OUCA during Michaelmas term 2007.

In an email to OUTRG members, its president Luke Connoly reported that an extraordinary general meeting held at the Lamb and Flag public house at 3 pm on 18 November 2008 unanimously voted to dissolve the OUTRG as of midday Saturday 8th week (1 December 2007) and to merge with OUCA. He cited falling attendance and a belief that OUCA had "genuinely become more liberal", adding that the merger "will make debate between wings of the party much easier and more productive". Later in the year, Douglas Hurd, a patron of the national TRG, lamented the disbanding of the Oxford Branch, saying that it was "very important that the One Nation view is powerfully represented".[8]

In the Media

The Channel 4 documentary Make Me a Tory, produced by Daniel Cormack, aired on 13 May 2007. It included footage from one of OUCA's Port and Policy meetings and an interview with Conservative party leader David Cameron.[9][10]

In Trinity Term 2010, just over a week before the 2010 General Election, the Oxford Mail reported John Major's visit to the association.[11] The Daily Mail newspaper subsequently reported the event and criticised the Oxford Student newspaper for its "anti-Tory" coverage.[12]

In Hilary Term 2011, Courtney Love took part in a Port and Policy event. She joined the association, and the president appointed her non-executive officer for rock and roll.[13]

Controversy

Accusations of racism

In 2000 four OUCA members were expelled from a meeting for making "Nazi-style salutes".[14] The New Statesman claimed that a member of the OUCA committee at the University's 2001 Fresher's Fair greeted new students by saying, "Welcome to OUCA – the biggest political group for young people since the Hitler Youth".[15] Another member was dismissed from the Oxford University Student Union's executive for "marching up and down doing a Nazi salute".[15] In 2007 a drunken OUCA member gave a Nazi salute at a meeting attended by a former Tory MP.[16]

In 2004 an ex-treasurer of the association was found guilty of bringing OUCA into disrepute "after posting 'offensive' comments about India in a newsletter".[14] At an OUCA hustings in 2009, two candidates made racist jokes, encouraged by others present. The incident led to national media coverage[17][18][19][20][21] and an investigation by the University,[22] which then refused to re-register the association, forcing it to drop University from its name[20][23][24] and become OCA (Oxford Conservative Association). As a result of the incident, two members were expelled from the national Conservative party,[18] and the Oxford Union banned OUCA from using its premises for hustings and in-camera events.[25]

In 2011 the Oxford Student newspaper received leaked video footage of an OUCA member singing the first line of a song glorifying the Nazi Party in the Junior Common Room of Corpus Christi College after an OUCA meeting at the Oxford Union in 2010.[26][27][28] This led to the resignation of some current and former members of the association. The university launched an investigation into the society as a result of the reports.[28][29] The Dean of Corpus Christi subsequently banned all OUCA events at the college indefinitely.[30]

Accusation of sexism

In 2008 the Cherwell newspaper accused OUCA of using "sexist publicity material" in the form of a poster showing "an attractive young woman above the caption 'Life is better under a Conservative'."[31]

In 2010, at an OUCA Port and Policy meeting where many London Conservative Association members were guests, one King's College London Conservative Association member chanted "kitchen, kitchen, kitchen" and made other sexist comments during a female OUCA member's speech.[32]

Unpaid debt

On 25 February 2012 the Daily Telegraph reported that the association had had an unpaid debt of more than £1200 in relation to a charity event held "in support of the Army Benevolent Fund at the Cavalry and Guards Club on Pall Mall in June 2009", which had not been settled until the beginning of 2012. As a result of this and other administrative shortcomings, the university for a second time refused to re-register the association for a period of 12 months, during which time it was again known as OCA, regaining university affiliation at the start of Trinity term 2012.[33][34]

Young, Bright and on the Right

On 9 August 2012, OUCA featured in the BBC's Young, Bright and on the Right documentary about former president Joe Cooke and a CUCA election candidate. Cooke attacked the Association, including allegations of bullying, debauchery and racism. The documentary generated significant negative publicity for the Association and for the Conservative Party and was labelled as a "PR facepalm" for the Party[35] by the Daily Mail. The Commentator suggested that "anyone with hopes of high office and half a brain would stay well away from OUCA".[36] Cooke's comments were rebutted by the Association as "misleading and misrepresentative".[37] The Daily Mail noted that the racist event took place in Michaelmas 2010 and questioned why Cooke took no action as president.[38] Political blogger Guido Fawkes claimed that the documentary was solicited by Joe Cooke to smear his successors, following a history of "dirty tricks".[39]

Departure from the Oxford Union

In Michaelmas term 2012, the 18-year room arrangement between OUCA and the Oxford Union was terminated. The Union cited the damage caused by associating with OUCA[40] following negative publicity, and the "fiasco" depicted by Cooke's comments in Young, Bright and on the Right, which included footage from inside the Union. The Association cited the increase in room charges and general dislike of the Union and Union politics on the part of OUCA members.

Presidents

For a complete list of presidents dating back to 1924, see Former presidents of Oxford University Conservative Association.

References

  1. ↑ Adams, Guy (5 July 2006). "Revealed: How Ed Balls was a Tory under Thatcher – Pandora, People". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  2. ↑ Eden, Richard (21 October 2012). "Oxford Union ends Conservative privileges". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  3. ↑ "Students back in force as party regains its 'cool'" Financial Times, 22 May 2008.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "THE FREEDOM ASSOCIATION: Oxford University Conservative Association". Tfa.net. 4 May 1979. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  6. ↑ "Launching Time to Get Involved". Conservative Future. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  7. ↑ David Blair, Andrew Page (ed.), The History of the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA, Oxford, 1995), pp.17–18
  8. ↑ <http://www.cherwell.org/content/7468
  9. ↑ "Iain Dale's Diary: Make Me a Tory: Sunday 8.25–8.55am Channel 4". Iaindale.blogspot.com. 12 May 2007. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  10. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993771/
  11. ↑ "Ex-PM Major speaks at Oxford Union (From Oxford Mail)". Oxfordmail.co.uk. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  12. ↑ Pierce, Andrew (4 May 2010). "GENERAL ELECTION 2010: Clean-up Nick Clegg and a spot of dirty washing | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  13. ↑ <http://order-order.com/2011/01/23/courtney-love-elected-ouca-officer-for-rock-and-roll/
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Oxford / News / Members suspended after OUCA's racist hustings". Cherwell.org. 15 June 2009.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "I have seen the future, and it's lousy". Newstatesman.com.
  16. ↑ Henderson, Mark (23 May 2007). "People Jeremy Austin". The Times (London).
  17. ↑ Irvine, Chris (11 June 2009). "Oxford student Tories in racism row". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "UK news". The Guardian (London). 23 January 2008.
  19. ↑ Bates, Daniel (14 August 2009). "Race shame outrage as Oxford student Tories clap and cheer at N-word jokes during meeting". Daily Mail (London).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "University cuts ties with Tories". BBC News. 1 September 2009.
  21. ↑ Hale, Beth; Lewis, Carl (5 June 2010). "Go back to your kitchen, woman! Sexist heckler in row at Oxford Tories meeting". Daily Mail (London).
  22. ↑ "University Tory association's racism claims investigated (From Oxford Mail)". Oxfordmail.co.uk. 11 June 2009.
  23. ↑ "Race-row Tories told to drop university name (From The Oxford Times)". Oxfordtimes.co.uk. 25 August 2009.
  24. ↑ "Oxford / News / Proctors punish OUCA after racism scandal". Cherwell.org. 29 August 2009.
  25. ↑ "Oxford / News in Brief / Union bans OUCA hustings in Frewin Court". Cherwell.org. 30 July 2009.
  26. ↑ Kelly, Tom; Harding, Eleanor (4 November 2011). "Oxford University launches inquiry after drunk Tory students 'sang song saluting Nazi killings'". Daily Mail (London).
  27. ↑ "Leaked documents reveal OUCA as "corrupt from top to bottom"". The Oxford Student.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Rayner, Gordon (4 November 2011). "Oxford Tories' nights of port and Nazi songs". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  29. ↑ Kelly, Tom; Harding, Eleanor (5 November 2011). "Oxford University launches inquiry after drunk Tory students 'sang song saluting Nazi killings'". Daily Mail (London).
  30. ↑ "Corpus bans OUCA". The Oxford Student. 14 November 2011.
  31. ↑ http://www.cherwell.org/content/7818
  32. ↑ http://www.cherwell.org/news/2010/06/03/sexism-outrage-at-ouca-drinks-event
  33. ↑ James Rothwell, Matthew Holehouse (25 February 2012). "Oxford Tories who failed to pay £1,200 bill". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  34. ↑ "Oxford / News / UK / OUCA Back in Business". Cherwell.org. 27 March 2013.
  35. ↑ Rupert Myers (10 August 2012). "Young, Bright, and on the Right: A PR facepalm for Oxford's young Conservatives | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk.
  36. ↑ Harry Cole and Joe Armitage. "Young, right and part of the fight". The Commentator.
  37. ↑
  38. ↑ Alex Singleton (10 August 2012). "The puzzling logic of the BBC's documentary on young Tories | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk.
  39. ↑ "Oxford Tory "Used BBC Show to Smear Opponents" Joe Cooke Solicited TV Documentary – Guy Fawkes' blog". Order-order.com. 14 August 2012.
  40. ↑ ""Debauched" OCA ousted from Union". The Oxford Student.

Bibliography

External links