Lord Peter Mandelson has confirmed that he will be running for Chancellor of Oxford University, Cherwell can report.
This comes after Lord Christopher Patten announced his retirement from the role in February of this year. Mandelson now joins a small pool of frontrunners seeking to become the next Chancellor.
A former Labour Party politician and life peer in the House of Lords, Mandelson has held several Cabinet positions during his career, including Secretary of State for Trade and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In the latter role, he oversaw the establishment of the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly. His tenure as Director of Communications for the Labour Party gained him the nickname ‘the Prince of Darkness’ for his handlings with the media.
Mandelson has also been European Commissioner and is honorary president of the Great Britain-China Centre. More recently, he reportedly advised Prime Minister Keir Starmer and has been described as having “significant influence inside Starmer’s office.”
Mandelson studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at St Catherine’s College, matriculating in 1973. He told Cherwell: “I have a great attachment to Oxford but also feel passionately about the University sector as a whole.” In a previous interview with Cherwell, Mandelson mentioned his indifference to the Oxford Union during his student days, describing how “the greasy pole didn’t attract [him].”
If elected, Lord Mandelson would be the first Labour Party member to hold the position. Historically, the role has been occupied by Conservative Party politicians. Out of the nine Oxford chancellors in the last century, seven, including Lord Patten, were Conservative politicians.
Mandelson told Cherwell: “The last Conservative government gave universities and students a really hard time financially. Universities were denigrated by ministers and I am glad that has ended with the election of a new government.”
He also said he would “use [his] political links with the new government to advocate for Oxford and the university sector” and his “extensive network with the rest of the world, especially America and Asia.”
Mandelson will face, among others, Lord William Hague, former Leader of the Conservative Party, and Lady Elish Angiolini, former Lord Advocate of Scotland and Solicitor General. While these three are considered the front runners of the election, other reported candidates include former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and lawyer and businesswoman Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford.
The election, which is scheduled for the third week of the upcoming Michaelmas Term, will be the first in Oxford’s history to be carried out online, opening the process to 250,000 eligible voters. The Convocation, which consists of former Oxford students and the Congregation, which includes academic staff and members of University governing bodies, will elect the new Chancellor. Mandleson said he hoped current Oxford students would have a say in the election despite not being eligible to vote.
Even prior to the announcement of his candidacy, Labour students at Oxford University began an online campaign in Mandelson’s support. A member of Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) told Cherwell: “As current Oxford students, we want a Chancellor who will stand up for our interests and advocate for desperately needed reforms to higher education funding.” Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) have publicly endorsed Lord Hague on their social media platforms.
Chancellor of the University of Oxford, historically an eminent public figure, is a highly coveted role which involves serving as the titular head of the University and presiding over all major ceremonies. Mandelson acknowledged that it is “largely ceremonial” but also said: “I hope it will be enjoyable, participative, and energising for the University.”
Mandelson described how “Oxford never stands still. It’s always going forward” and referenced the upcoming election as “a chance to think about our future and where it is going.” He told Cherwell: “I hope the Chancellor election will be a spur in this conversation about the future.”
