Cai Wilshaw, who was elected unopposed to the position of Oxford Union Secretary, has decided not to take up his position for Michaelmas. The decision was made on the morning of Tuesday 11th June, and means that the member of standing committee with the highest number of votes in the last election, in this case Roberto Weeden-Sanz, succeeds Wilshaw as Secretary.
In a statement to the Cherwell, Wilshaw confirmed that he had declined the role. Wilshaw said: ‘For personal reasons, I will not be taking up the position of Secretary next term. I have had a brilliant time in the Union and have made some fantastic friends. I wish all the best to my successor and everyone else on committee in Michaelmas.’
Outgoing President Joey D’Urso confirmed Wilshaw’s departure, stating that ‘In accordance with Rule 38(a)ii and 38(f), Cai has decided not to take up the position of Secretary in Michaelmas.’
Rule 38(a)ii states that ‘Resignations from Office or from the Standing Committee must be sent simultaneously by email to the President and to any person next in line to succeed’, whilst Rule 38(f) confirms that, as Secretary-designate, die or resign then ‘his death or resignation shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Rule only, to have taken place immediately after his succession to Office.’
D’Urso went on to say that ‘[he] would like to thank him very much for his hard work on Standing Committee, especially the Eurovision party he organised and his excellent speech in the sixth week banking debate. Roberto Weeden-Sanz is next in the line of succession and has thus been offered the position of Secretary, which he has accepted. I am confident Roberto and the rest of next term’s committee will do a fantastic job.’
A post in the Facebook group ‘Overheard at Oxford Uni’ recently described this as ‘the dirtiest Union election in living memory’, and, in the aftermath, a series of thirteen tribunals were launched, all of which were subsequently withdrawn.
