Oxford University Liberal Democrats
| |
Abbreviation | OULD |
---|---|
Formation | 1913 | (as OULC)
Honorary President | Lord Tyler, Exeter |
President | Finn Conway, Balliol |
President-Elect | Damayanti Chatterjee, Brasenose |
Senior Member | Steve Goddard |
Parent organization | Young Liberals |
Website |
oulibdems blog |
Formerly called |
Oxford University Liberal Club Oxford University Social Democrats |
Oxford University Liberal Democrats is the student branch of the Liberal Democrats for students at the University of Oxford, with the purpose to support, develop, improve and promote the policies and candidates of the Liberal Democrats and liberal values within Oxford and the University.
It is affiliated with the federal Young Liberals, and is involved in activism and campaigning alongside YL. The Current President of OULD, Finn Conway is also currently Chair of Young Liberals.
It is the official successor to both the Oxford University Liberal Club and the Oxford University Social Democrats, which voted to merge early in 1987, about a year in advance of the national parties.
History
The Oxford University Liberal Club was founded in 1913,[1] with the stated aim to "rally progressive members of the University to the support of Liberal principles".[2] Its foundation date makes it the oldest political society founded at an English university.[3] It was formed from a merger of two older Liberal societies at Oxford, the Russell Club, and the Palmerston Club, both of which dated to at least the 1870s, and had as their goals the promotion of liberal politics. Around in the early 1900s was also a society called the 'Liberal League', founded "in defence of free trade".[4]
Originally holding premises on the corner of Cornmarket Street and George Street, open for the majority of the day, the society was originally modelled after the usual gentlemen's clubs of the day, before the arrival of World War One and the general reduction in the student body of Oxford. The society faced further problems in the 1920s, as around half of its members defected and joined the newly established Labour Club, as well as the New Reform Club, a pro-Lloyd George group, reflecting the division of the national Liberal Party at the time.[4]
Revitalisation occurred with the coming to the fore of Harold Wilson, Treasurer in Hilary 1935, along with Frank Byers as President and Raymond Walton as Secretary. Efforts made to provide a stronger draw to the society - including the institution of a society newspaper and library - had membership treble to over 300.[4] Membership continued to grow during and after the war, with its peak hit under the Presidency of Jeremy Thorpe in 1950, of over 1000 members. By this point, the Liberal Club had become more of a social club, including drinking events, balls and parties, some of which are continued by the society in its modern form.[5]
Turbulence for the national party meant turbulence for the society itself, however, and the party's catastrophic collapse in the 1960s, combined with mergers throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, led to a smaller membership and a series of renamings and mergers for the society at large. After merging the Oxford University Liberal Club and the Oxford University Social Democrats in 1987, however, the society in its present structure was formed, with a smaller membership focussed more heavily on campaigning, but maintaining the social functions from its post-war heyday.
Recent years have seen a resurgence in numbers - after the 2015 general election, attendance at the society's weekly meetings more than trebled from an average of around 15 to an average of around 50, with further increases after the 2017 general election to over 100.[6][7] In Michaelmas 2016, following the Labour Party leadership crisis, it was announced that for the first time in decades, OULD had surpassed the Labour Club in size of signups, event attendance, and overall subscription.[8]
Organisation and Constitution
The society is run by a committee as established under the society's Constitution, with elections taking place at the end of each term. The constitution may be changed by a majority at the Termly General Meeting or a Extraordinary General Meeting, called by Senior Officers or seven members of the society, with any member being able to submit amendments. At the Termly General Meeting the President and Treasure must both submit reports on the state of the society and its accounts.
The committee is elected each term and is made up of a President, President-elect, Treasurer, Secretary as well as a number of Junior Officers and General Committee members who oversee social events, campaigning, and the main society meeting each week, 'Spirited Discussions'. The President-elect is elected a term in advance of their term as President, the Treasurer is elected for two terms, and all other Officers and General Committee members are elected at the end of a term to serve in the next term. There are also a number of appointed committee roles, such as the LGBT+ Officer, the Women’s Officer, the Social Backgrounds Officer, the Ethnic Minorities Officer, the IT Officer, the Charities Officer, the Editor and the Returning and Deputy Returning Officers.
The society has a Honorary President, currently former Liberal Democrat Chief Whip and MP for North Cornwall Lord Tyler, who regularly speaks at the society and hosts a annual tour of the Palace of Westminster. There is also a Senior Member, as constitutionally required by the Proctors, who is usually a member of academic staff who oversees the Society, signs off on the accounts and has a role within the internal disputes and disciplinary procedures.
For a full list of Former Presidents, see Former Presidents of Oxford University Liberal Club and Oxford University Liberal Democrats.
Current Committee
The following is the elected Committee for Michaelmas Term 2018:[9]
Role | Name |
---|---|
President | Finn Conway, Balliol |
President-Elect | Damayanti Chatterjee, Brasenose |
Treasurer | Jake Olenick, Exeter |
Secretary | Edward Peckston, Brasenose |
Spirits Officer | Olly Besley, Jesus |
Campaigns Officer | Patrick Chapman, St Hugh's |
Communications Officer | Shreyus Ganesh, Exeter |
Social Secretary | Hayden Searle, St Anne's |
General Committee | Zahra Farzanekhoo, Lady Margaret Hall Ben Harris, St Anne's Abbie McGhee, St Hugh's Lauren Evans, Pembroke |
Ex-Presidents in statu pupillari | Sam Cole, Worcester Adam Higgins, St Catherine's Lucasta Bath, Hertford Louise Kandler, Lady Margaret Hall |
Role in Campaigning and the Liberal Democrats
Elections
Its members are active in local campaigns, especially in parliamentary elections. Towards the late 20th century, Oxford West and Abingdon was a Conservative – Liberal Democrat marginal. It returned Dr Evan Harris from 1997 until 2010, when he was defeated by Nicola Blackwood, a Conservative candidate. However, in the 2017 election the constituency was won by Layla Moran, thereby swinging it back to the Liberal Democrats. In neighboring Oxford East, traditionally a safe Labour seat, there was an 11.2% swing towards the Lib Dems in 2005 general election. 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, and in 2015, the Liberal Democrats collapsed into fourth place, behind Labour, the Conservatives and the Greens.
In the 2018 City Council Elections the then President-Elect Finn Conway was a candidate in Holywell[10] and former committee member Conor McKenzie was a candidate in Carfax, in those elections the societies involvement was significant and helped deliver a good result. In Holywell there was a swing of 12.1% towards the Lib Dems and they moved from fourth to second place and they came within 7 votes of winning and in Carfax there was a 15% swing towards the Lib Dems and they moved from fourth to second place.
Liberal Democrats and Young Liberals
While formal affiliation does not exist, the society is associated with the Liberal Democrats and its youth wing the Young Liberals, and both past and present members of the society have been elected into roles within the federal Young Liberals, with the current President of OULD, Finn Conway being Chair of Young Liberals and other OULD members and almuni being on several YL committees. Elected members of the society committee, as well as other non-executive committee roles with the exception of Welfare Officers, are required to be members of the federal Liberal Democrats, or an international sister party.
In February 2018 the society helped organise and host the federal Young Liberals winter Conference, which was hosted at St Catherine's College.[11]
Events
Spirited Discussions
The main event of the society is 'Spirited Discussions', which is a weekly debate and involves the discussion of two pre-announced motions of political and philosophical importance alongside drinking spirits. Recently this event has been expanded to include several smaller motions, in a section between the main motions known as 'Pint Sized Policy'. This event has recently expanded significantly, becoming one of the major politician events at the University, challenging and sometimes surpassing turnout of events hosted by other Political Societies such as OUCA's Port and Policy.
Speaker Events
The society organises regular speaker events with current and former liberal politicians, recent visitors have included Lord Tyler, Tom Brake MP, Paddy Ashdown, Konstantin Kuhle, Martin Horwood and Tessa Munt.
Dinners
The society usually hosts several dinner events, the most regular being a Termly Dinner at the end of each term, which is sometimes a formal dinner with guest speaker and sometimes an informal dinner with just society members. The society also hosts an annual Alumni Dinner, where former members of the University are invited and acts as a major fundraising event for the society.
Social Events
The society organises regular non-drinking events such as "Cold Takes", which involves casual discussions while eating icecream from G&D's, and "Punting Liberally" which involves Punting.
Alumni
Some former members of the society and its predecessors have gone on to have notable careers, including:
- Danny Alexander, Lib Dem MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, 2005-2015
- Clement Attlee, later Labour Prime Minister, 1945–1951
- Alec Beechman, Liberal Club President 1919-1920, National Liberal MP 1937-1950
- Alan Beith, Lib Dem MP for Berwick upon Tweed 1973-2015
- Frank Byers, Liberal Club President in 1935, Liberal MP for North Dorset, 1945–1950, later Leader of the Liberal peers in the House of Lords
- Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, 1988-1990 & 1993-1996
- Ed Davey, Lib Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton 1997-2015
- Robin Day, television interviewer and political broadcaster
- Dingle Foot, Liberal Club Secretary in 1926 and President in 1927, Liberal MP for Dundee, 1931–1945, and Labour MP for Ipswich, 1951–1970
- John Foot, Liberal Club President in 1930, Liberal politician and peer.
- Michael Foot, Liberal Club President in 1934, cabinet minister 1974-9, Labour party leader 1980-1983
- Paul Foot, Liberal Club President in 1960, journalist
- Andrew George, Lib Dem MP for St Ives 1997-2015
- John Gray, Liberal Club President in 1967, philosopher
- Jo Grimond, Liberal MP for Orkney and Shetland and Leader of the Liberal Party, 1956–1967
- Duncan Hames, Lib Dem MP for Chippenham 2010-2015
- Evan Harris, OULD President in 1987, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon 1997-2010
- Stephen Hawking, physicist
- David Heath, Lib Dem MP for Somerton and Frome 1997-2015, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons 2010-12, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food 2012-13
- John Hemming, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley 2005-2015
- Martin Horwood, Oxford Student Liberal Society President in 1983, Lib Dem MP for Cheltenham 2005-2015
- Susan Kramer, Lib Dem 2000 London mayoral candidate and MP for Richmond Park 2005-2010
- Keith Kyle, Liberal Club President in 1949, journalist
- Eric Lubbock, winner of the Orpington by-election, and Liberal MP, 1962–1970
- Lord Razzall, Lib Dem campaign strategist
- Nick St Aubyn, Liberal Club Secretary in 1975, Conservative MP for Guildford 1997-2001
- Matthew Taylor, Lib Dem MP for Truro and St Austell 1987-2010
- Jeremy Thorpe, Liberal Club President in 1950, Liberal MP for North Devon 1959-1979, and Leader of the Liberal Party, 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 Bodmin February–October 1974, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall 1992-2005
- Helen Wallace (née Rushworth), Lady Wallace of Saltaire, Liberal Club President in 1965, academic
- Steve Webb, Lib Dem MP for Northavon 1997-2015
- Harold Wilson, Liberal Club Treasurer in 1935, later the Labour Prime Minister, 1964–1970 and 1974–1976
See also
References
- ↑ Bloch, M., 'Jeremy Thorpe', London, 2014
- ↑ Bentley, M., 'The Liberal Mind 1914-29', 174, Cambridge, 2007
- ↑ "Kissing Your Sister: A History of the Oxford University Liberal Club and its Successors (1913–1993)". 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009.
- 1 2 3 "History of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats". www.theweepingcross.co.uk.
- ↑ "Oxford University Liberal Democrats - Events". oulibdems.co.uk.
- ↑ "Oxford University Liberal Democrats". facebook.com.
- ↑ "Oxford Uni Lib Dems (@OxUniLibDems) - Twitter". twitter.com.
- ↑ Oxford Uni Lib Dems [@OxUniLibDems] (5 October 2016). "Over 90 new signups to OULD on Day 1 of Freshers' Fair (more than Labour), and 8 new full @LibDems party members. A great day!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Oxford University Liberal Democrats (8 June 2018). "Election results for Michaelmas Term 2018 committee". Facebook.
- ↑ @Finn_Conway (2 May 2018). "Proud to be standing for fairer Oxford tomorrow and to have the support of @YoungLiberalsUK behind me! #VoteLibDem" (Tweet). Retweeted by OxUniLibDems – via Twitter.
- ↑ @OxUniLibDems (16 February 2018). "Great to be here hosting @YoungLiberalsUK for our Winter Conference! We're joined by President @SalBrinton and English Chair @lizleffman to open the event for us #LDYLFSC2018OX" (Tweet) – via Twitter.