Oxford University Conservative Association

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The Oxford University Conservative Association

Founded	1924
Home Page	www.ouca.org.uk
Patron	Baroness Thatcher, Somerville College
Honorary President	William Hague MP, Magdalen College
Dean	The Rev Father David Johnson, Selwyn College, Cambridge
Senior officers of the association, Trinity Term 2008
President	Anthony Boutall, St Edmund Hall
President-Elect	Alexander Elias, Pembroke College
Treasurer	Andrew Mason, University College
Treasurer-Elect	Meredith Lloyd, St John's College
Secretary	Natalie Shina, St Peter's Hall
Political Officer	Oliver Harvey, Christ Church

The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford.

Amongst the OUCA alumni are many significant Conservative Party figures, including former Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers. Past Presidents of the OUCA include Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, William Hague, Jonathan Aitken, Lord Rees-Mogg, Daniel Hannan and Nick Robinson. (Ed Balls, a current Labour Party Cabinet Minister, is also an OUCA alumnus.^[1])

Recently the OUCA has been visited by figures such as Margaret Thatcher (November 2002), David Cameron, George Osborne, Alan Duncan, John Redwood, Ann Widdecombe, the Earl of Onslow, Iain Duncan Smith, David Willetts, Oliver Letwin and Lord Patten, and in 2006 it was praised in the Mail on Sunday by Lord Rees-Mogg.^[2]

The Patron of OUCA is Margaret Thatcher and the Honorary President is William Hague.

Contents 1 Standing with the national Conservative Party 2 Committee 2.1 Current Committee (Trinity 2009) 3 OUCA Events 3.1 Port and Policy 3.2 Speaker Meetings 3.3 Campaigning 3.4 Social events 4 Dissolution and Merger of the Oxford University Tory Reform Group 5 OUCA in the Media 5.1 2009 5.1.1 Racist jokes at hustings 5.1.2 Allegations of chauvinism 5.1.3 Election controversy 5.2 2008 5.2.1 Accusations of "Sexism" over poster 5.2.2 "Rowdy" behaviour 5.3 2006 5.3.1 Allegations of electoral malpractice 5.4 2005 5.4.1 George Galloway & Anti-Semitism 5.4.2 Matthew Smith/Cameron Penny - In-fighting 5.5 2004 5.5.1 Allegations of racism 5.5.2 Sam Parr/Ken Owen - Resignations 5.5.3 David Johnson interview 5.6 2002 5.6.1 Emily Wentz/Jamie Gardiner - Electoral integrity 5.7 2001 5.7.1 'Hitler Youth' remark 5.8 2000 5.8.1 Offensive Nazi demonstration 5.9 1999 5.9.1 Will Goodhand/Christine Hamilton - Drunken dinner 5.9.2 Nazi drinking song 5.9.3 Electoral malpractice and abuse of Union staff 5.10 1989 5.10.1 Strippers, and convicted rapist 5.11 1981 5.11.1 William Hague - Electoral malpractice 5.12 Recurring allegations of "Vote-buying" 6 Recent Presidents 7 See also 8 References 9 Notes 10 General references 11 External links

[edit] Standing with the national Conservative Party

OUCA is an independent organisation which maintains strong links to the national Conservative Party, its youth branch Conservative Future and its home constituency, Oxford West and Abingdon.

Historically, relations between OUCA and the national party have been weak, for example OUCA (together with CUCA) were automatically treated as organisations separate to Conservative Future when it was founded in 1998.

OUCA's prominent alumni and history leads to it having a high number of senior political figures speaking every term.

OUCA members are often asked to stand for election to Oxford City Council.

[edit] Committee

OUCA is run by its officers and committee, who are elected each term.

In addition, there is a Returning Officer, responsible for the elections and for administering OUCA's internal disciplinary procedures, and from time to time, there may also be appointed non-executive officers, such as a Press Officer.

[edit] Current Committee (Trinity 2009)

The committee and officers of OUCA for Trinity term 2008.^[3]

Office	Office holder	College
President	Anthony Boutall	St Edmund Hall
President-Elect	Alexander Elias	Pembroke College
Treasurer	Andrew Mason	University College
Treasurer-Elect	Meredith Lloyd	St John's College
Secretary	Natalie Shina	St Peter's College
Political Officer	Oliver Harvey	Christ Church
Social Secretary	George Farmer	St Peter's College
Publicity Officer	James Kingston	Christ Church
Publications Officer	Nick Gallagher	Oriel College
The Whip	Poppy Simister	Christ Church
Returning Officer	George Harnett	Balliol College
Committee	Max Lewis	Pembroke College
Committee	David Rawcliffe	ExeterCollege
Committee	Constantin Calavrezos	Somerville College
Committee	Henry Venmore-Rowland	St John's College

[edit] OUCA Events

OUCA events and activities vary dramatically, depending on the President and committee. However, all activities broadly follow four main routes; Port and Policy, speaker meetings, campaigning and social events. Michaelmas Term is always the strongest term with more debates and speakers, as well as many socials, whilst Trinity Term leans more heavily on the social side due to exams.

[edit] Port and Policy

OUCA's most popular regular event is Port and Policy, where political discussion is helped along by fortified wine. Started in Trinity Term 1994, Port and Policy is usually held six times a term on Sunday evenings in the Oxford Union. Although the format is up to the President and the Political Officer, it generally follows the lines of a set debate to start with followed by a debate with topics from the floor. This is all done in a relaxed environment with unlimited amounts of port. In May 2007 OUCA's port and Policy featured in a documentary produced for Channel 4 titled Make Me a Tory. In recent terms Port and Policy has been sponsored by The Spectator, who provide numerous complimentary copies of their publication, and Dow's Port who provide discounted Port. The growth in attendance at Port and Policy was recently featured in the Financial Times as evidence of growing popularity for the Conservatives among students.^[4] An October 2008 review of party political events by Cherwell gave OUCA's Port and Policy evenings 7 out of 10 for holding "the ear of the powerful", but only 3 out of 10 for "accessibility", and 1 out of 10 for "making a difference". The same review concluded these events were "A good place to find a rich husband, not so good if you're actually serious about politics" and that they were "populated by permanent adolescents."^[5]

[edit] Speaker Meetings

One of OUCA's most high profile elements is its speaker meetings. Recently OUCA has been visited by figures such as Margaret Thatcher (November 2002), David Cameron (May 2008), Michael Howard (February 2007 and June 2008) , Michael Ancram, Edward Leigh , George Osborne, Alan Duncan, John Redwood, Ann Widdecombe, the Earl of Onslow, Iain Duncan Smith, David Willetts, Oliver Letwin and Lord Patten.

The President of the Association is responsible for inviting guest speakers and organising his term's events. The prestige of the Association means that it often draws prominent conservative figures from various walks of life.

[edit] Campaigning

OUCA often campaigns in local and general elections in other constituencies.

Over the last few years, this aspect of the Association's activities has been resurgent, and its success rate has dramatically increased, as demonstrated by an ever-increasing demand by Conservative M.P.s and councillors for OUCA's assistance in their constituencies and wards. The Association aided the Conservative candidate in the Headington Hill and Northway ward of Oxford in Trinity Term 2006 and sitting councillors in Swindon in Michaelmas Term of that year. In Hilary Term 2007 a group from OUCA aided in the local elections in the Ribble Valley, where the Conservatives took control on a large swing. For this, and their work in the Tooting area, Mark Clarke (politician) thanked OUCA.

In the past, however, OUCA campaigning has not always been so successful. In 1997 the seat of Winchester was lost to Mark Oaten by two votes. After the incumbent Conservative MP, Gerry Malone, successfully challenged the result in the High Court, OUCA campaigned in the resultant by-election, seeing the Liberal Democrat majority of 2 increase to 21,556.

Both The Times and the Oxford Student reported OUCA's 2004 campaigning tour of southern England, led by then President Oliver Pepys (Oriel). The stories centred on the fact that the group stayed with married Tory MPs Virginia and Peter Bottomley, and woke them up in the early hours of the morning by singing Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Iolanthe' under their bedroom window.^[6]

[edit] Social events

Politics aside, OUCA's social events have always been incredibly popular. Although the 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 gentlemans' clubs. In Trinity term there are occasionally sporting fixtures against the Oxford Union and Cambridge University Conservative Association.

[edit] Dissolution and Merger of the Oxford University Tory Reform Group

In 1965 a group of OUCA members formed the Oxford University Tory Reform Group, predating the national Tory Reform Group organisation. The OUTRG acted as a One Nation Conservative pressure group in Oxford, although had a substantially smaller membership than OUCA. However due to decline in interest, the national Party's shift towards a more moderate conservatism, and the decline of faction in OUCA the OUTRG voted to disband and merge with OUCA during Michaelmas term 2007. ^[7]

[edit] OUCA in the Media

Due to its prominence OUCA has oftened featured in the student, local, and national media, for stories that have been both positive and negative.

[edit] 2009

[edit] Racist jokes at hustings

Ahead of the termly elections in Trinity Term 2009 it was reported in student,^[8] local, ^{[9] [10] [11]} and national ^{[12][13] [14] [15] [16]} newspapers that two candidates in the OUCA elections had made racist comments at hustings. The society's incumbent Publications Officer Nick Gallagher was widely reported as saying "What do you say when you see a television moving around in the dark? Put it down, you n*****, or I'll shoot you"^[17] which caused uproar at the meeting, while according to an OUCA member present, "Another [candidate] made a joke about a black family of three getting lynched. Nobody booed."^[18] OUCA President Anthony Boutall said he did not hear any racist remarks and commented "I cannot reiterate strongly enough that OUCA has no place for racism, and abhors and rejects all racial prejudice."^[19], but an OUCA member at the hustings was quoted as saying the remarks were "tongue in cheek, ironic would be the word for it...More banter than anything else", while another explained "It is somewhat [sic] of an OUCA tradition to ask two or three slightly outrageous questions...Everyone who's there expects certain things to go on. It's all in good spirits."^[20] These jokes were condemned by the Oxford University Student Union, and before an OUCA disciplinary committee had convened, the two members who had made the remarks were suspended from the national Conservative Party. Former Conservative leader Michael Howard then pulled out of a subsequent OUCA speaker event, reportedly in disgust at the remarks.^[21]

[edit] Allegations of chauvinism

A May 2009 report by OUSU criticised Oxford student political groups in general for entrenched chauvinism, and singled out OUCA in particular, with Cherwell citing how "Port and Policy is often used as a prime example of a male dominated event.". One female attendee at such OUCA events commented "It seems that the men are there to do the debating and the women to pour the port. It's sad that an Association of the party that produced the first female prime minister could have failed so miserably to move beyond gender stereotypes."^[22] Asked to defend these charges, OUCA President Anthony Boutall was reported to have said that some of the individuals he respected most in the world were women - "I do not just mean the perhaps obvious cases of our ex-President and Patron Margaret Thatcher, and of course the Queen, I refer also to my Mum and late Granny".^[23]

[edit] Election controversy

In Hilary Term 2009, it was reported in Cherwell that over 60 new OUCA members were refused the right to vote in the society's elections. Returning Officer David Neale cited a long-standing rule which bars any student from taking part in the ballot if they register after opening of nominations. Candidate for the presidency Josefin Malmqvist said she was concerned by the decision and she knew many new members who were "very upset" that they were not eligible to vote. It was countered that the rule was meant to prevent the practice of "vote-buying" (see below), whereby candidates for office buy OUCA memberships for their friends, in the hope that they can then vote for them in forthcoming elections. The 60+ new members failed to qualify for a vote as their membership applications to OUCA had been submitted just before the election. ^[24]

[edit] 2008

[edit] Accusations of "Sexism" over poster

In Michaelmas 2008, the society was accused of sexism for a recruitment poster at a fresher's fair, of an attractive young woman under the slogan "Life's better under a Conservative". Student paper Cherwell quoted OUSU's Vice-President Rachel Cummings as saying "It's disappointing that OUCA use female sexuality to publicise themselves. It undermines the significant impact women have had on the Conservative movement and politics more widely; because of their intelligence and competence, not their attractiveness", while Henny Ziai, Treasurer of Oxford's Liberal Democrats, remarked "I was shocked that OUCA, as supposed representatives of David Cameron's new and progressive Conservative Party, would attempt to use sex to sell conservatism and, in doing so, would so unashamedly promote and help perpetuate the sexual objectification of women." But OUCA alumnus and Conservative MP Anne Widdecombe commented "What a load of politically correct nonsense. I might find the joke coarse, but I don't find it sexist."^[25] A Cherwell oped argued that the poster was "sexist", but not "offensive". ^[26]

[edit] "Rowdy" behaviour

In March 2008, it was reported in Cherwell that "rowdy behaviour" from the OUCA table at a London event for Conservatives had prompted complaints, and led to the expulsion of Publications Officer Dan Ward from the committee, while former OUCA President Alex Stafford had to apologise to the organisers of the event.^[27]

[edit] 2006

[edit] Allegations of electoral malpractice

OUCA President-Elect Charlie Steel was the subject of a police investigation amidst allegations of forging signatures on his nomination form for the May 2006 council elections, in which he was a candidate. The issue received national coverage in The Times. When Steel refused to resign as President-Elect, OUCA's President, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect, Secretary, and Political Officer all resigned in protest. As Steel was President-Elect, when OUCA's President Simon Clarke resigned in protest, Steel became Acting President under the rules of the constitution, and continued as Acting President for the rest of Clarke's term, until becoming President the following term. ^{[28] [29] [30] [31] [32]}.

[edit] 2005

[edit] George Galloway & Anti-Semitism

In Michaelmas 2005, a visit by the RESPECT MP, George Galloway was cancelled following a dispute between the Oxford University Labour Club ("OULC") and OUCA, and the publication of an open letter by OULC's co-chairs calling on Galloway to boycott OUCA. Part of OULC's complaint against OUCA concerned the disciplinary action taken by OUCA following anti-semitic remarks made by an OUCA member (David Cochrane) to the then-Political Officer, Paul Stuart, at an OUCA event the preceding term.^[33]

[edit] Matthew Smith/Cameron Penny - In-fighting

In Hilary Term 2005, Matt Smith, OUCA's then-president, used his termcard to attack another faction within the association. Cherwell reported this under the headlines "OUCA poised on brink of civil war"^[34]. It was later reported that Smith had been accused by an un-named OUCA member of homophobic abuse and harassment, an allegation which Smith denied^{[35] [36]}. Within a week of this complaint, Smith had been removed from office by OUCA's Returning Officer Andrew Grey, following a un-related complaint by Cameron Penny, a member of OUCA's committee. Penny's complaint related to a technical qualification, known as Activist Points, which OUCA officers are required to fulfil both before and after election. Penny alleged that Smith, whilst OUCA Treasurer, had failed to fulfil this requirement, and so should be deemed to have resigned. As a result of this deemed resignation, he would not have been eligible to stand in the Presidential election (which he won). On the Returning Officer's initial interpretation of OUCA's constitution, this complaint was upheld, but following a meeting of the OUCA Council (the associations governing body) this decision was reversed, and Smith reinstated^[37].

[edit] 2004

[edit] Allegations of racism

In Michaelmas Term 2004, a candidate for President of OUCA, Anatole Pang, was the subject of an internal disciplinary complaint by the editor of OUCA's Blueprint newsletter, Junior Officer Avi Patchava. In article submitted for Blueprint, Pang was reported to have written “the problem with India is its culture...[It is] stained by two main features which hold the country down continually with little sign of change: democracy and Hinduism.” Contemporaneous reporting of the incident highlighted that Patchava, a candidate for OUCA Secretary, was supporting Pang's rival in the election for President, and that his complaint did not apparently involve fellow OUCA committee member Robert Thompson, whose contribution to Pang's submitted article apparently included asserting "The problem with India is the natives. They are ugly, malodorous, fraudulent, and worst of all, brown! I was shocked to discover that there is an entire nation of over a billion people who are brown as the ace of spades." It is not clear whether any disciplinary action was taken against Thompson^{[38] [39]}. Pang's remarks were condemned by OUCA's then President, and the subsequent internal disciplinary committee found him guilty of bringing the society into disrepute^[40]. However, no action had been taken over earlier comments by Pang, that he did not want "even more comprehensive school oiks running around and not knowing the difference between a sherry and a madeira".^[41]

[edit] Sam Parr/Ken Owen - Resignations

In Hilary Term 2004, Sam Parr, a member of the OUCA committee, and then-President-Elect of the Oxford Tory Reform Group resigned his OUCA post. His resignation letter cited his other commitments, but Cherwell quoted him as having called OUCA "insular and extremist" and saying that it was "in danger of becoming an irrelevance" and "unattractive to most of its own members and unable to appeal to the vast majority of students." The same Cherwell report noted that the TRG had only 30 members, to OUCA's 720^[42]. Later that term, OUCA member Ken Owen wrote to Cherwell, to complain about the Port and Policy evening he had attended the previous day. His letter implied that those attending had demonstrated "snobbery, racism, bigotry, misogyny and xenophobia" in addition to "proclaiming the divine right of Kings"^[43].

[edit] David Johnson interview

In December 2004, the Dean of OUCA, the Rev. David Johnson, gave an interview with The Guardian in which he described himself as "spiritual adviser to Peter Stringfellow"and said "I was made Dean because I was the only person who could stay awake while Peter Bottomley spoke twice." Asked about OUCA's inclusiveness, he remarked "We are very inclusive today. Look at him. [He indicates a boy] He's Welsh, but we let him in anyway."^[44]

[edit] 2002

[edit] Emily Wentz/Jamie Gardiner - Electoral integrity

In 2002, claims about the validity the appointment as Returning Officer of Emily Wentz, girlfriend of the then-President, Jamie Gardiner, led to public disputes within OUCA, and to a "constitutional crisis" and a number of internal disciplinary tribunals.^{[45] [46]}

[edit] 2001

[edit] 'Hitler Youth' remark

It was reported in both the local press and the New Statesman that OUCA activists at the 2001 Fresher's Fair boasted to potential recruits that the society was "the biggest political group for young people since the Hitler Youth."^[47], ^[48].

[edit] 2000

[edit] Offensive Nazi demonstration

In 2000, four members of OUCA - John Storey, Mike Atkins, George Rowell, and George Callaghan were expelled from a meeting of Oxford University Student Union for what The Oxford Student described as "a deliberate disruption of proceedings, involving Nazi-style salutes, cries of "Viva Pinochet" and alleged drunken behaviour". All four were subject to internal disciplinary proceedings within OUCA, for bringing the association into disrepute.^{[49] [50]}

[edit] 1999

[edit] Will Goodhand/Christine Hamilton - Drunken dinner

In Trinty Term 1999, one of OUCA's junior officers, Will Goodhand, was photographed kissing Christine Hamilton during a drinking session which followed the OUCA termly dinner at which she and her husband, former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton, had been guests. The photograph appeared on the front-page of The Sun. According to The Oxford Student, "several guests at the dinner reported that Neil Hamilton's speech was peppered with racist and sexist remarks, explicitly referring to "the natives from Ungabunga land."" The same report quoted one guest as saying, "I left with a real sense it was all incredibly distasteful and utter shock to realise that OUCA was actually as sordid as I always thought it had been" while another guest likened the after-party to an "orgy."^{[51] [52]} A week after the incident made the national newspapers, the Hamiltons appeared on The Big Breakfast and Goodhand was a 'surprise' guest, and 're-enacted' his kiss with Christine Hamilton for the cameras, which was much toned down into an embrace this time.^[53] The Oxford Student later reported a reconciliation between Goodhand and the Hamiltons on a return visit, with Goodhand sharing a car with them. He commented: "I took a lift with Neil and Christine Hamilton, but I'd like to make it clear this is the only ride I've had with Christine."^[54]

[edit] Nazi drinking song

Later the same term, under the headline "OUCA swing to Reich-wing", the Oxford Student published the lyrics of a drinking song entitled "Dashing Thro’ The Reich”, which it alleged was sung by OUCA members to the tune of 'Jingle Bells':

"Dashing thro' the Reich / In a black mercedes-benz / killing lots of kikes / Rat-a-tat-tat-tat / Mow the buggers down / Oh what fun it is to be / the SS in ze town / Oh lebensraum , lebensraum / Tack the buggers out / Oh what fun it is to be / an intolerant Kraut."^[55]

A 2009 op-ed in The Guardian claimed that this particular song had been sung by OUCA as recently as 2007. ^[56]

[edit] Electoral malpractice and abuse of Union staff

At the start of that term, action had been taken against several members for electoral malpractice. This was after several members ran off with the ballot box during the society's termly elections. It was reported that the ballot box had been stored in a pub next to the Oxford Union "as the society had been banned from using Union facilities for what one Union source described as "systematic unruly behaviour" involving alleged rude behaviour with Union staff and late payment of bills."^[57]

[edit] 1989

[edit] Strippers, and convicted rapist

In Trinity Term 2005, a Cherwell oped article referred to OUCA as "...inviting strippers to perform “lewd acts” in 1989"^[58]. In 2009, the Daily Mail elaborated on this incident in reporting that OUCA's then-Social Secretary Sally Illman (future wife of Conservative MP John Bercow) had been "cavorting with a stripper as he performed in front of Young Conservatives. What she couldn’t have known when she hopped up on stage to join ‘Terry The Minder’ was that he would later become infamous as the Black Cab rapist John Worboys", dubbed by the paper as "Britain's most notorious rapist." The Mail elaborated that "The Association booked the strippers for a £3.50-a-head event in the Baring Room at Hertford College" and quoted the then-Dean of Hertford College as saying it would be "a long time before the Conservative Association get to use that hall again", while university officials removed OUCA's right to use the prefix "Oxford University" for a while.^[59]

[edit] 1981

[edit] William Hague - Electoral malpractice

In Trinity Term 1999, The Oxford Student reported that when William Hague had been President of OUCA in 1981, he had been "convicted of electoral malpractice"^[60] and that on a subsequent visit to the Association in the 1990s, he was recorded to have said: "It is not the election that one needs to worry about...it's more the tribunal thereafter.' " ^[61]

[edit] Recurring allegations of "Vote-buying"

OUCA has been repeatedly hit by allegations of widespread 'vote-buying' - the practice of potential candidates signing up dozens of friends as members, to vote for them in forthcoming elections. This involves a substantial financial outlay, as the friends' membership needs to be paid for. Membership costs £15 each, and at least several dozen votes are required to win an election. This has, consequently, resulted in a large membership and a very high income for the society. In 1999, Robin Conway, a former member of OUCA's governing body, commented "I happen to know that the practice of buying votes is widespread and that when you go in you are encouraged to buy votes and told you'll never get on without doing so."^[62] This was reported as recently as March 2009, when an OUCA member told Cherwell that "it was widespread for candidates to buy memberships for their friends just before the elections so they could vote for them. "Everybody knows it goes on," he said while another member stated "it's what candidates tend to do." ^[63]

[edit] Recent Presidents

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

Year	Term	President	College
2009	Hilary	Niall Gallagher	Worcester College
2008	Michaelmas	Ernest Bell	Mansfield College
2008	Trinity	Guy Levin	Corpus Christi College

[edit] See also

• Cambridge University Conservative Association
• UCL Conservative Society
• University of York Conservative and Unionist Association

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

1.  Oxford Student: OUCA PMs to judge Gardener? (Trinity Term 2003)
2.  Oxford Student: Oxford Tories wake up Bottomley (Hilary Term 2003)
3.  Oxford Student: OUCA President survives by single vote (Hilary Term 2005)
4.  Oxford Student: OUCA treasurer stripped of office (Hilary Term 2006)

[edit] General references

• Anthony Berry, "Conservative Oxford," Oxford: Oxford University Conservative Association, 1950 OCLC: 67886997
• Martin Ceadel, "The 'King and Country' Debate, 1933: Student Politics, Pacifism and the Dictators The Historical Journal, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Jun., 1979), pp. 397–422 Jstor link

[edit] External links

• Official website