Oxford University Conservative Association

OUCA is run by its officers and committee, who are elected on a termly basis. The association has six senior officers, namely the president, the president-elect, the treasurer, the treasurer-elect, the secretary, and the political officer, who chairs Port and Policy each week and is also responsible for organising campaigning events and social action. Four junior officers also help manage the association, as do its eight committee members (two of which are appointed by officers without an election).{{Cite web |date=2024-03-05 |title=Rules and Standing Orders |url=https://www.ouconservatives.com/rules-and-standing-orders |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=Oxford University Conservative Association}} OUCA's returning officer is responsible for running the elections and for administering the association's internal disciplinary procedures. The president may appoint non-executive officers, such as a press officer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ouconservatives.com/rules-and-standing-orders/|title=Rules and Standing Orders|website=Oxford University Conservative Association|access-date=22 March 2017}}

In October 2018, OUCA announced that members of the Bullingdon Club would be banned from holding office within the association, with OUCA's president stating the club's "values and activities had no place in the modern Conservative Party".{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-45835126|title=Oxford Tories ban Bullingdon Club members|date=12 October 2018|publisher=BBC News|access-date=12 October 2018}} This decision was overturned by the association's disciplinary committee, as non-members were brought to the council meeting that voted for the ban.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2018/11/01/tories-revolt-as-ouca-president-pushes-through-bullingdon-club-ban/|title=Tories revolt as OUCA President pushes through Bullingdon Club ban|last=Gould|first=Tom|date=1 November 2018|website=The Oxford Student|access-date=18 April 2019}} Despite this, the ban was subsequently reimposed by the association's senior member, Brian Young.

OUCA members sometimes stand for election to Oxford City Council. The council has traditionally been Labour-dominated, and the Conservatives have not held a seat on it since 2001. Alexander Stafford (president, Michaelmas 2007) stood unsuccessfully for Holywell Ward in the 2008 Oxford City Council election, achieving an 8.2% swing for the Conservatives. His brother Gregory, now a councillor in the London Borough of Ealing, stood in the same ward in 2004. More recently, Poppy Stokes and OUCA president Maryam Ahmed stood for the Conservatives in the 2014 Oxford City Council Election in the Holywell and Carfax wards respectively. This trend of putting up students as candidates in the city centre continued in the 2016 city council election, when OUCA president, George Walker, stood in Holywell Ward.

Julian Critchley described the OUCA that he encountered on his arrival at Pembroke College in 1951. Despite its 2,000 members, he said, "it was dominated by a patrician clique who preserved their power by preventing the membership at large from electing officers of the association. These were chosen by the committee which, although directly elected, was easily open to manipulation." Critchley and Michael Heseltine, defeated in their bids for OUCA office, set up a rival Conservative society, the Blue Ribbon Club.David Blair, Andrew Page (ed.), The History of the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA, Oxford, 1995), pp.17–18

In 1965, a group of OUCA members formed the Oxford University Tory Reform Group, pre-dating the national Tory Reform Group organisation. The OUTRG acted as a "one nation conservative" pressure group in Oxford, although it had a substantially smaller membership than OUCA. Interest declined as the national party became more moderate, and the OUTRG voted to disband and merge with OUCA during Michaelmas term 2007.

In an email to OUTRG members, its president Luke Connoly reported that an extraordinary general meeting held at the Lamb & Flag pub at 3{{nbsp}}pm on 18 November 2007 unanimously voted to dissolve the OUTRG as of midday Saturday 8th week (1 December 2007) and to merge with OUCA. He cited falling attendance and a belief that OUCA had "genuinely become more liberal", adding that the merger "will make debate between wings of the party much easier and more productive". Later in the year, Douglas Hurd, a patron of the national TRG, lamented the disbanding of the Oxford branch, saying that it was "very important that the One Nation view is powerfully represented".{{Cite web |url=http://www.cherwell.org/content/7468 |title=Cherwell – Douglas Hurd |access-date=29 March 2010 |archive-date=6 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106143507/http://www.cherwell.org/content/7468 |url-status=dead }}

OUCA's hosts a regular event called 'Port and Policy', which involves port-fuelled debate, with a mixture of serious and jovial motions. Although the format is decided by the president and the political officer, two pre-announced motions are usually debated, followed by an emergency motion. Between Trinity Term 1994 and Michaelmas 2012, Port and Policy was held eight times a term on Sunday evenings in the Oxford Union. In May 2007, Port and Policy featured in the Channel 4 documentary Make Me a Tory. The growth in attendance at Port and Policy was mentioned in a 2008 Financial Times article as possible evidence of growing popularity for the Conservatives among students.[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3205128e-279a-11dd-b7cb-000077b07658.html "Students back in force as party regains its 'cool'"] Financial Times, 22 May 2008. In Michaelmas 2012 the Oxford Union did not renew the contract,{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9622790/Oxford-Union-ends-Conservative-privileges.html |title=Oxford Union ends Conservative privileges |access-date=15 December 2012|location=London |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=Richard |last=Eden |date=21 October 2012}} and OUCA used other Oxford venues. While originally held by OUCA, 'Port and Policy' has become a popular event for other universities conservative associations, although the format can vary, often not being held as regularly. In January 2023, Port and Policy returned to the Oxford Union; however, following friction with the Union, Port and Policy is currently being held at various venues around Oxford.

The Channel 4 documentary Make Me a Tory, produced by Daniel Cormack, aired on 13 May 2007. It included footage from one of OUCA's Port and Policy meetings and an interview with Conservative party leader David Cameron.{{cite web|url=http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2007/05/make-me-tory-sunday-825-855am-channel4.html |title=Iain Dale's Diary: Make Me a Tory: Sunday 8.25–8.55am Channel 4 |publisher=Iaindale.blogspot.com |date=12 May 2007 |access-date=31 August 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993771/|title=Make Me a Tory|date=13 May 2007|publisher=IMDb}}

In Trinity term 2010, just over a week before the 2010 general election, the Oxford Mail reported John Major's visit to the association.{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/8123265.Ex_PM_Major_speaks_at_Oxford_Union |title=Ex-PM Major speaks at Oxford Union (From Oxford Mail) |publisher=Oxfordmail.co.uk |date=27 April 2010 |access-date=31 August 2010}}

In Hilary term 2011, Courtney Love took part in a Port and Policy event. She joined the association, and the president appointed her non-executive officer for rock and roll.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/courtney-love-95-1289426|title=Courtney Love joins Oxford University Conservative Association|first=Matt|last=Wilkinson|date=25 January 2011|website=NME}}

In December 1985 the Oxford University Student Union adopted a No Platform policy for "racists and fascists." OUCA organised a petition of almost 700 signatures, more than the minimum requirement, to put the policy to a referendum of the student union's members. OUCA President Nick Levy described the policy as "a serious infringement of the basic democratic right to freedom of speech". OUCA led the subsequent campaign to overturn the policy. No Platform was rejected by a vote of 3,152 against with 2,246 in favour in the referendum in late February 1986.{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Evan |title=No Platform: A History of Anti-Fascism, Universities and the Limits of Free Speech |publisher=Routledge |year=2020 |isbn=9781138591684 |location=Abingdon |pages=151}}

In 2000, four OUCA members were expelled from a meeting for making "Nazi-style salutes".{{cite web|url=http://www.cherwell.org/content/8911 |title=Oxford / News / Members suspended after OUCA's racist hustings |publisher=Cherwell.org |date=15 June 2009}} The New Statesman reported that a member of the OUCA committee at the university's 2001 Fresher's Fair greeted new students by saying, "Welcome to OUCA – the biggest political group for young people since the Hitler Youth".{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/node/139564 |title=I have seen the future, and it's lousy |work=New Statesman }} Another member was dismissed from the Oxford University Student Union's executive for "marching up and down doing a Nazi salute". In 2007, a drunken OUCA member gave a Nazi salute at a meeting attended by a former Tory MP.{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826479.ece | work=The Times|location=London| title=People Jeremy Austin | date=23 May 2007 | first=Mark | last=Henderson |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629105852/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826479.ece |archive-date=29 June 2011}}

In 2004, an ex-treasurer of the association was found guilty of bringing OUCA into disrepute "after posting 'offensive' comments about India in a newsletter". At an OUCA hustings in 2009, two candidates made racist jokes, encouraged by others present. The incident led to national media coverage{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/5500599/Oxford-student-Tories-in-racism-row.html | work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London | first=Chris | last=Irvine | title=Oxford student Tories in racism row | date=11 June 2009}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/feedarticle/8552945 | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=UK news | date=23 January 2008}}{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/8231940.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=University cuts ties with Tories | date=1 September 2009}} and an investigation by the university,{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/4434112.University_Tory_association_s_racism_claims_investigated/ |title=University Tory association's racism claims investigated (From Oxford Mail) |publisher=Oxfordmail.co.uk |date=11 June 2009}} which then refused to re-register the association, forcing it to drop University from its name{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/4563820.Race_row_Tories_told_to_drop_University_name/ |title=Race-row Tories told to drop university name (From The Oxford Times) |publisher=Oxfordtimes.co.uk |date=25 August 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cherwell.org/content/9008 |title=Oxford / News / Proctors punish OUCA after racism scandal |publisher=Cherwell.org |date=29 August 2009}} and become OCA (Oxford Conservative Association). As a result of the incident, two members were expelled from the national Conservative party, and the Oxford Union banned OUCA from using its premises for hustings and in-camera events.{{cite web|url=http://www.cherwell.org/content/8970 |title=Oxford / News in Brief / Union bans OUCA hustings in Frewin Court |publisher=Cherwell.org |date=30 July 2009}}

In 2011, The Oxford Student newspaper received leaked video footage of an OUCA member singing the first line of a song glorifying the Nazi Party in the Junior Common Room of Corpus Christi College after an OUCA meeting at the Oxford Union in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://oxfordstudent.com/2011/11/08/leaked-documents-reveal-ouca-as-corrupt-from-top-to-bottom/ |title=Leaked documents reveal OUCA as "corrupt from top to bottom" |publisher=The Oxford Student |date=8 November 2011}}{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8870909/Oxford-Tories-nights-of-port-and-Nazi-songs.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Gordon | last=Rayner | title=Oxford Tories' nights of port and Nazi songs | date=4 November 2011}} This led to the resignation of some current and former members of the association. The university launched an investigation into the society as a result of the reports. The dean of Corpus Christi subsequently banned all OUCA events at the college indefinitely.{{cite web|url=http://oxfordstudent.com/2011/11/10/corpus-bans-ouca/ |title=Corpus bans OUCA |publisher=The Oxford Student |date=14 November 2011}}

In 2020, a member standing in the OUCA elections was reported to have quoted from the Rivers of Blood speech while at a drinking event.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2020/02/28/xenophobia-rivers-of-blood-speech-quoted-at-ould-debate/|title=Xenophobic 'Rivers of Blood' speech quoted at OULD debate|date=28 February 2020|website=The Oxford Student|access-date=24 April 2020}} The member later resigned his membership, and dropped out of the election. During the same election, the losing presidential candidate, who would have been the association's first black president had he been elected, raised accusations that the election had been rigged against him.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2020/03/28/ouca-presidential-candidate-expelled-after-election-scandal/|title=OUCA presidential candidate expelled after election scandal|last=Team|first=News|date=28 March 2020|website=The Oxford Student|access-date=24 April 2020}} He was then expelled from the association after its disciplinary committee ruled that he had brought OUCA into disrepute by raising false allegations.

On 25 February 2012 The Daily Telegraph reported that the association had had an unpaid debt of more than £1,200 in relation to a charity event held "in support of the Army Benevolent Fund at the Cavalry and Guards Club on Pall Mall in June 2009", which had not been settled until the beginning of 2012. As a result of this and other administrative shortcomings, the university for a second time refused to re-register the association for a period of 12 months, during which time it was again known as OCA, regaining university affiliation at the start of Trinity term 2012.{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9104321/Oxford-Tories-who-failed-to-pay-1200-bill.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Matthew Holehouse | last=James Rothwell| title=Oxford Tories who failed to pay £1,200 bill | date=25 February 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cherwell.org/news/uk/2013/03/27/ouca-back-in-business |title=Oxford / News / UK / OUCA Back in Business |publisher=Cherwell.org |date=27 March 2013}}

On 22 October 2021, Cherwell reported that several complaints of financial and interpersonal misconduct had been made to the disciplinary committee of OUCA against the then president, Kamran Ali.{{Cite web |last1=Mills |first1=Sasha |last2=Hancock |first2=Charlie |date=22 October 2021 |title=BREAKING: Allegations of financial and interpersonal misconduct lodged against OUCA President |url=https://cherwell.org/2021/10/22/breaking-allegations-of-financial-and-interpersonal-misconduct-lodged-against-ouca-president/ |access-date=22 October 2021 |website=Cherwell}} The decision of the disciplinary committee to remove the president from office was overturned on appeal on procedural grounds.{{Cite web |date=26 October 2021 |title=OUCA President Removed From Office Over Financial Misconduct Charges |url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2021/10/26/ouca-president-removed-from-office-over-financial-misconduct-charges/ |access-date=26 October 2021 |website=The Oxford Student}}

On 18 May 2023, the Disciplinary Committee voted to remove Caleb van Ryneveld from the office of the presidency of OUCA, and subsequently Peter Walker, the President-elect, became acting President.{{Cite web |last=News |first=OxStu |date=20 May 2023|title=OUCA President Removed by Disciplinary Committee |url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2023/05/20/ouca-president-van-ryneveld-removed/ |access-date=11 June 2023|website=The Oxford Student}} Following this, Van Ryneveld appealed this decision to the Senior Member, who on 24 May 2023, decreed that Walker had no claims to the presidency and that Van Ryneveld was to resume the office. According to the OUCA constitution, the Senior Member is the 'last court of appeal' of any decision 'regardless of any other Rules', however, the judgement of the Senior Member was brought into question by Walker and other members of committee who maintained that he was still acting President.{{Cite web |last=Bowden |first=Charlie|date=9 June 2023|title=OUCA election in disarray as two people claim presidency |url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2023/06/09/ouca-election-in-disarray-as-two-people-claim-presidency/ |access-date=11 June 2023|website=The Oxford Student}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=12em|{{plainlist|

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• Oxford University Liberal Democrats
• Oxford University Labour Club

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

• Anthony Berry and Douglas Wilson (eds.) with a foreword by the Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden, Conservative Oxford (Oxford University Conservative Association, Oxford, 1949) OCLC: 67886997
• Martin Ceadel, "The 'King and Country' Debate, 1933: Student Politics, Pacifism and the Dictators". The Historical Journal, Vol. 22, No. 2 (June 1979), pp. 397–422 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2638871 Jstor link]

• [http://www.ouconservatives.com/ Official website]
• [http://www.facebook.com/groups/OUCA1924/ Facebook page]

{{Political clubs and societies of Oxford University}}

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{{University Conservative Associations in the United Kingdom}}

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