Six candidates running to be Oxford University’s next Chancellor spoke exclusively to Cherwell on free speech, balancing tradition with modernity, and supporting Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor.
Lord William Hague was the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001. He also held the position of Foreign Secretary as MP for Richmond from 2010 to 2014 during the coalition government.
Lady Elish Angiolini, who has held the position of Principal at St Hugh’s College since 2012, is Solicitor General and Lord Advocate of Scotland. If elected, she would be Oxford’s first female Chancellor in its 900-year history.
Lord Peter Mandelson, who announced his candidacy exclusively to Cherwell last week, held positions including Director of Communications for the Labour Party, Secretary of State for Trade, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and European Commissioner.
Imran Khan was the prime minister of Pakistan and an international cricket star who previously captained the Oxford Blues team. He is campaigning – and answering Cherwell‘s questions – from prison on remand, where he is under “arbitrary detention” according to a UN human rights working group. Some of his charges – including leaking state secrets and un-Islamic marriage – have been overturned, while a corruption case remains in trial.
Who can know better than me right now how important all forms of freedom are?
Imran Khan to Cherwell
Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford is a lawyer and businesswoman who previously served as Chancellor of Coventry University. She is a Board member of the Co-op Group and was Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe.
Dominic Grieve served as Shadow Home Secretary from 2008 to 2009 and Attorney General for England and Wales from 2010 to 2014. Grieve was commissioned to review the governance structure of Christ Church College.
Q: What is your view on freedom of speech at universities?
Hague: “Freedom of speech, understanding differing viewpoints, hearing uncomfortable truths and being open to the power of reason are all vital parts of learning at universities.”
Angiolini: “Freedom of speech is a fundamental and precious element of any modern democratic society and must be supported in Universities. Speech can however be abused to cause real harm, for example, re Nazi propaganda and threats of physical assault. It is therefore a freedom that must be exercised responsibly.”
Mandelson: “I believe in freedom of expression and in tolerance and respect for others’ views and I particularly want to hear and listen to students’ views and opinions during this election. But none of us likes to hear hateful or unkind speech and we are entitled to say so.”
Khan: “An institution which denies people the ability to speak freely cannot call itself a university. Universities are founded on the concept of freedom – the freedom to think, speak, question, debate and create. As Chancellor I would fervently defend those freedoms… Who can know better than me right now how important all forms of freedom are?”
Casely-Hayford: “A University environment should encourage listening, debating and learning from each other. As has been famously stated elsewhere: ‘I disapprove of what you said, but I will defend unto death your right to say it’, and for me, an important codicil is that within a civilised society this isn’t an absolute right.”
Grieve: “The right to freedom of expression under law and with civility is essential to a place of learning and underpins academic freedom. It is essential that it should be supported and I would do so.”
With pro-Palestine protests and encampments in Oxford and other universities, freedom of speech has been a pertinent topic of discussion.
Days before the Conservative government’s Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 came into force, the current Labour government halted its implementation. The act required universities and student unions to protect freedom of speech, but opponents raised concerns that it may protect hate speech.
Presidents of four Ivy League universities in the US – Harvard University, Cornell University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania – have resigned over criticism of their handling of campus conflict around the war in Gaza.
Q: What do you think is a right balance of modernity and tradition at Oxford?
Hague: “It is not so much a question of balance as of ensuring that tradition and modernity serve and strengthen each other, which will be vital in the unprecedented period of change now beginning.
Angiolini: “The status quo.”
Mandelson: “Widening access to the university for students from different social backgrounds and parts of the country should be the main modernising effort. Otherwise, the university’s traditions are valuable and should be protected, including its traditional college tutorial system. New technologies should be utilised when there is demand from students, in ways that will benefit them.”
Khan: “There are two traditions which are more profound and which underpin all others: academic freedom and intellectual rigour. To continue to thrive, however, Oxford must embrace the modern world. It must open its ancient doors to the leaders of the future – the brightest minds from across the UK and the world, regardless of their income or background.”
Casely-Hayford: “Of course there are traditions that are the essence of this 800 year old institution that should be cherished but we should also recognise the need to modernise culturally and operationally and should not to be wary of embracing change as we move forward, in order to make the University continually relevant, pertinent and appropriately agile.”
Grieve: “Oxford’s great strength is the combination of its rich history, its traditions that support its shared life and its academic excellence as well as its modernity and being at the cutting edge of research and thinking. The correct balance between them cannot be fixed as it evolves all the time.”
Q: In his farewell interview with Cherwell, Lord Patten advised the next chancellor to support the Vice-Chancellor. How do you plan to support Irene Tracey and potential Vice-Chancellors?
Hague: “The Chancellor can support the Vice-Chancellor with private counsel when needed, public steadiness in a crisis, contagious enthusiasm for plans and achievements, and a global network of contacts and friendships.”
Angiolini: “Irene Tracy is an outstanding individual. She may not need a great deal of advice but more often the ability to debate an issue before she has come to a decision. Being a sage and good listener is one of the strengths of our current Chancellor.”
Mandelson: “The role of the Chancellor is not to be the same as the VC but to bring different personal experience, skills and a strong reach into the world of politics and business outside Oxford. With a new government in office, if elected I will use my longstanding political links to advocate both for Oxford and the university sector as a whole.”
Khan: “Oxford is a global university, and I would be a global Chancellor, drawing on my extensive networks and experience in fundraising to help Oxford raise the money needed for transformative research. Team work has also been a integral ingredient as a cricket captain and building one of the largest political parties in Asia.”
Casely-Hayford: “Support for the Vice-Chancellor should encompass being a wise old head, proffering good judgement and sound advice when it’s sought, and recognising that there are local and domestic roles as well as an essential function of global brand ambassador and fundraising figurehead.”
Grieve: “The role of Chancellor, apart from its ceremonial and Visitor functions for some colleges, is to support them in their work and to be an advocate for the University to government and generally and an adviser to it when required.”
Election updates
Although current undergraduate students cannot vote in the upcoming elections, scheduled for October, some have taken action through online campaigns.
Oxford University Conservative Association has officially endorsed Hague, while members of the Oxford University Labour Club are campaigning for Mendelson.
Historically, elections took place in the Sheldonian Theatre where the Convocation – made up of former students and members of the Congregation, Oxford’s supreme governing body – cast votes in academic dress.
This election will be the first held online, a change made by the University earlier this year. An earlier version of the rules included a committee that will decide on the eligibility of candidates with “due regard to the principles of equality and diversity”. Following allegations that the committee might prevent the election of another white male candidate, the University dropped the “equality and diversity” plan.
Instead, the Chancellor Election Committee, which “plays no substantive role”, puts forth candidates with due regard to a narrow set of exclusion criteria only: A candidate must not be a current student or employee of the University or a serving member of an elected legislature. They must also not be disqualified from being a charity trustee and must qualify as a “fit and proper person”. No other requirements are asked of candidates.
Several fringe candidates have announced their interest, including Reverend Matthew Firth and Reverend Nigel Biggar, and Maxim Parr-Reid, who represented Trinity College in University Challenge in 2017. Firth has conveyed his interest in representing an “anti-woke” ticket, writing on X: “Please vote for me to be the next Chancellor of the University of Oxford. I’m the only candidate who will be publicly anti-woke, and that’s what academia needs.”
