A proposal to ban members of the Bullingdon Club from the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) committee has been defeated.
The motion, raised at Thursday’s OUCA council, proposed to ban known members of the infamous drinking society from running in Association elections, or holding senior office.
It comes in the wake of national press coverage of drunken behaviour at OUCA’s Port and Policy events.
Last week, prominent members of the Association resigned and were suspended following reports of disorderly conduct.
A majority of OUCA members voted the motion down at Thursday evening’s council meeting. Bullingdon Club members will continue to be eligible for Association elections.
OUCA President Timothy Doyle told Cherwell: “I supported the proposed amendment to our Standing Orders. I believe others feared it would lead to maliciously-targeted proscriptions of student societies to prevent individual members’ holding office.
“The Association does not tolerate raucous behaviour, and is quite capable of punishing those guilty of it without proscribing societies which it allegedly characterizes.”
The co-chairs of Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) told Cherwell: “This is a further damning exposition of OUCA’s unwillingness to address the toxic culture that pervades their society.
“The Bullingdon Club stands for what is worst about Oxford, and OUCA’s willingness to allow its members into their Club should deter any reasonable person from involvement.”
