The Convocation voted Lord William Hague as Oxford University’s next Chancellor after two rounds of voting, concluding their multi-month campaigns.
Hague received 12,609 votes in the final round, second-place was Lady Elish Angiolini at 11,006.
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 from 2010 to 2014 during the coalition government.
In his interview with Cherwell, Hague said he is prepared for a “decade of change”. He discussed coming to Oxford from a comprehensive school and having his life “transformed”. He also hopes to help grow the University’s endowment through his links to the US so that it doesn’t rely too much on international students’ funding.
Hague was elected from a pool of 38 candidates, which were narrowed down to five – Lady Elish Angiolini, Rt Hon Dominic Grieve, Lord William Hague, Lord Peter Mandelson and Baroness Jan Royall. This came after 23,000 members of the Convocation, which comprises alumni and staff, cast votes in the first round.
With a history of 800 years, the Chancellor is the ceremonial head whose role today includes fundraising work and representing the University internationally. Predecessor Lord Patten served from 2003 to this year, but the new Chancellor will hold the post for no more than ten years following an amendment to the University statutes.
Campaigns have seized national media attention these past few months. Mandelson recently drew criticism from rivals for using University mailing lists to distribute campaign materials, which he said is publicly available and registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Candidates have also put money into their campaigns, with Royall spending £10,000 on consultants, Grieve spending £120 on a website, and Lady Angiolini spending £100 on a social media post plus some food, according to Financial Times. Hague and Mandelson did not provide figures.
The Chancellor-elect, Lord Hague said: “Thank you to my fellow Oxonians for placing such confidence in me. I regard being elected as the Chancellor of our university as the greatest honour of my life. I pay tribute to the other candidates, in particular for their commitment to the future of Oxford. What happens at Oxford in the next decade is critical to the success of the UK. I look forward to working closely with the Vice-Chancellor and her team, along with students and alumni, to build on their excellent work. My heart and soul are in Oxford and I will dedicate myself in the coming years to serving the university I love.”
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Irene Tracey said: “I am delighted to welcome Lord Hague back to Oxford as its 160th Chancellor. On behalf of the entire University community, I heartily congratulate him on being elected. I would like to extend my gratitude to the four unsuccessful candidates for their dedication and willingness to serve. William is a great friend to Oxford and is someone who I know will serve and represent this magnificent institution with dignity and vigour. I am personally looking forward to working with him during the remainder of my tenure, and to also engaging with his wife, Ffion, another loyal alum to the University of Oxford. Congratulations once again.”
