The Oxford Union has passed a new amendment to Rule 33 which will ban all forms of online campaigning except for one-on-one messages and the posting of plain text manifestos.
Previously, candidates and their slates were allowed to create Instagram accounts and Facebook profiles with their campaign promises. These were often elaborately designed with custom layouts and photography. Under the changed rules, these forms of online campaigning will be banned. The motion would also ban group “hacking” or soliciting votes in any form of social media or messaging platform. Individual private messages, however, will still be allowed.
Chris Collins, who proposed this motion, hopes it will be “an antidote to the needless toxicity of Union politics”. He added, “it will make elections more meritocratic and manifesto-based, stop the mudslinging and popularity politics, and cut down on all the Union spam that floods Members’ timelines in 7th Week”.
After being postponed from 5th week, the motion was originally passed on Thursday of 7th week. However, a petition had been posted calling for it to be postponed again, and it was later established that this had acquired the requisite number of signatories within the necessary timeframe. The motion therefore had to be brought again on Thursday of 8th week, where it was passed again by a verbal vote with only one vote against. The new rule will take effect in Hilary 2024.
This article was updated at 9:15am on 16/06/2023.
