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Oxford University Conservative Association
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The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford.
Amongst the OUCA alumni are many significant Conservative Party figures, including former Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers.
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Encyclopedia
The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford.
Amongst the OUCA alumni are many significant Conservative Party figures, including former Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers. Past Presidents of the OUCA include Margaret Thatcher, Edward Heath, William Hague, Jonathan Aitken, Lord Rees-Mogg and Nick Robinson. (Ed Balls, a current Labour Party Cabinet Minister, is also an OUCA alumnus.)
Recently the OUCA has been visited by figures such as Margaret Thatcher (November 2002), David Cameron, George Osborne, Alan Duncan, John Redwood, Ann Widdecombe, the Earl of Onslow, Iain Duncan Smith, David Willetts, Oliver Letwin and Lord Patten, and in 2006 it was praised in the Mail on Sunday by Lord Rees-Mogg.
The Patron of OUCA is Margaret Thatcher and the Honorary President is William Hague.
Standing with the national Conservative Party
Though it is an independent organisation, OUCA has recently become closer to the national Conservative Party, its youth branch Conservative Future and its home constituency, Oxford West and Abingdon.
The calibre of speakers visiting OUCA is testament to the standing of the Association. In Trinity 2008, 5 members of the Shadow Cabinet (including David Cameron) spoke at OUCA.
OUCA is often asked to put forward candidates for Oxford City Council elections. In 2006 and 2008 both outpolled the Labour candidates. Ex-Returning Officer Cameron Penny, and Ex-President of the Association Alexander Stafford, both stood in the May 1st 2008 local elections.
Committee
OUCA is run by its officers and committee, who are elected each term.
In addition, there is a Returning Officer, responsible for the elections and for administering OUCA's internal disciplinary procedures, and from time to time, there may also be appointed non-executive officers, such as a Press Officer.
Current Committee (Hilary 2009)
The committee and officers of OUCA for Hilary term 2008.
OUCA Events
OUCA events and activities vary dramatically, depending on the President and committee. However, all activities broadly follow four main routes; Port and Policy, speaker meetings, campaigning and social events. Michaelmas Term is always the strongest term with more debates and speakers, as well as many socials, whilst Trinity Term leans more heavily on the social side due to exams.
Port and Policy
OUCA's most popular regular event is Port and Policy, where political discussion is helped along by fortified wine. Started in Trinity Term 1994, Port and Policy is usually held six times a term on Sunday evenings in the Oxford Union. Although the format is up to the President and the Political Officer, it generally follows the lines of a set debate to start with followed by a debate with topics from the floor. This is all done in a relaxed environment with unlimited amounts of port. In May 2007 OUCA's port and Policy featured in a documentary produced for Channel 4 titled Make Me a Tory. In recent terms Port and Policy has been sponsored by The Spectator, who provide numerous complimentary copies of their publication, and Dow's Port who provide discounted Port. The growth in attendance at Port and Policy was recently featured in the Financial Times as evidence of growing popularity for the Conservatives among students.
Speaker Meetings
One of OUCA's most high profile elements is its speaker meetings. Recently OUCA has been visited by figures such as Margaret Thatcher (November 2002), David Cameron (May 2008), Michael Howard (February 2007 and June 2008) , Michael Ancram, Edward Leigh , George Osborne, Alan Duncan, John Redwood, Ann Widdecombe, the Earl of Onslow, Iain Duncan Smith, David Willetts, Oliver Letwin and Lord Patten.
The President of the Association is responsible for inviting guest speakers and organising his term's events. The prestige of the Association means that it often draws prominent conservative figures from various walks of life.
Campaigning
OUCA often campaigns in local and general elections in other constituencies.
Over the last few years, this aspect of the Association's activities has been resurgent, and its success rate has dramatically increased, as demonstrated by an ever-increasing demand by Conservative M.P.s and councillors for OUCA's assistance in their constituencies and wards. The Association aided the Conservative candidate in the Headington Hill and Northway ward of Oxford in Trinity Term 2006 and sitting councillors in Swindon in Michaelmas Term of that year. In Hilary Term 2007 a group from OUCA aided in the local elections in the Ribble Valley, where the Conservatives took control on a large swing. For this, and their work in the Tooting area, Mark Clarke (politician) thanked OUCA.
In the past, however, OUCA campaigning has not always been so successful. In 1997 the seat of Winchester was lost to Mark Oaten by two votes. After the incumbent Conservative MP, Gerry Malone, successfully challenged the result in the High Court, OUCA campaigned in the resultant by-election, seeing the Liberal Democrat majority of 2 increase to 21,556.
Both The Times and the Oxford Student reported OUCA's 2004 campaigning tour of southern England, led by then President Oliver Pepys (Oriel). The stories centred on the fact that the group stayed with married Tory MPs Virginia and Peter Bottomley, and woke them up in the early hours of the morning by singing Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Iolanthe' under their bedroom window.
Social Events
Politics aside, OUCA’s social events have always been incredibly popular. Although the arrangements are left to the discretion of the President and the Social Secretary, they usually include a party, a garden party in Trinity term, and trips to London to visit Parliament, the theatre or gentlemans' clubs. In Trinity term there are occasionally sporting fixtures against the Oxford Union, Cambridge University Conservative Association and OULC.
Dissolution and Merger of the Oxford University Tory Reform Group
In 1965 a group of OUCA members formed the Oxford University Tory Reform Group, predating the national Tory Reform Group organisation. The OUTRG acted as a One Nation Conservative pressure group in Oxford, although had a substantially smaller membership than OUCA. However due to decline in interest, the national Party's shift towards a more moderate conservatism, and the decline of faction in OUCA the OUTRG voted to disband and merge with OUCA during Michaelmas term 2007.
OUCA in the Media
Due to its prominence OUCA has oftened featured in the student, local, and national media. This has occasionally been as a result of controversy but in recent times has been praised for its activity and support (p.67.).
In May 2007 OUCA featured in a documentary produced for Channel 4 titled Make Me a Tory. Featuring heavily was OUCA both at a Port & Policy debate and in interviews with some of the officers and members.
Flag Sale
When the then Acting-President, Charlie Steel, announced his intention to sell OUCA's enormous Union flag to raise funds, the flag was appropriated by a group calling themselves the "People’s Front for the Liberation of OUCA". The Cherwell speculated that the group was a splinter faction of the Moles Dining Club. The flag was returned to OUCA, and after extensive cleaning, returned to events in Michaelmas 2007.
Past Presidents
See also
General references
- Anthony Berry, "Conservative Oxford," Oxford: Oxford University Conservative Association, 1950 OCLC: 67886997
- Martin Ceadel, "The 'King and Country' Debate, 1933: Student Politics, Pacifism and the Dictators The Historical Journal, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Jun., 1979), pp. 397-422
External links
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