The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from Oxford University.

Amongst the OUCA alumni are many significant Conservative Party figures, including fomer 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.http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2006-07-05a.913.0)

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 it was recently praised in the Mail on Sunday by Lord Rees-Mogg.http://www.ouca.org.uk/content/rees-mogg-12-02-06.pdf

OUCA provides for a number of activities include speaker meetings, campaigning, Port and Policy and social events. The Patron of OUCA is Margaret Thatcher and the Honorary President is William Hague.

Standing within Oxford University

Due to its age (the association was founded in 1924) and size, OUCA has enjoyed an almost unrivalled position in the University. In spite of tending to avoid involvement in the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU), two recent OUCA Presidents, Charlie Steel and Alexander Stafford, have been elected to the OUSU's executive committee.

Standing with the national Conservative Party

Though it is an independent organisation, OUCA has recently become closer both 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, 7 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 (Michaelmas 2008)

The committee and officers of OUCA for Michaelmas 2008.^[1]

OUCA's membership, currently over 700 members, makes it one of the largest youth political organisations in the world. It has more members than all of the University's other political groups combined.

College Influence

The collegiate nature of Oxford allows individual colleges to exert hegemony within student societies. Within OUCA, this has led to periods in which one or two colleges, traditionally Oriel and Christ Church, have been particularly dominant. More recently, membership has filtered towards the Permanent Private Halls, with almost all of Greyfriars undergraduates being members.

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 of 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.^[2]

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, such as the legendary OUCA Garden Party every Trinity term. There are occasional trips to London to visit Parliament, the theatre or gentlemans' clubs. In Trinity term there are often sporting fixtures against the Oxford Union, Cambridge University Conservative Association or even 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. ^[3]

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.http://www.ouca.org.uk/content/rees-mogg-12-02-06.pdf).

2007

Make Me a Tory

In May of 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.

Member expelled

In May 2007 OUCA member and first-year historian Arthur Alekseev was expelled from OUCA after giving a Nazi salute to former Conservative MP Gyles Brandreth. http://www.cherwell.org/news/student_apologises_for_nazi_salute. The incident was reported in the national press http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826479.ece. Although Brandreth said that he did not see the incident, the member was expelled and banned from future events. The then President, Sam Belcher issued a statement exclaiming the disgust felt by both himself as well as the ordinary members of OUCA. The member has since been indefinitely rusticated.

2006

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 Clubhttp://www.cherwell.org/news/ouca_flag_pilfered_by_splinter_group. The flag was returned to OUCA, and after extensive cleaning, returned to events in Michaelmas 2007.

Clarke/ Steel

On 4th May 2006, the OUCA President-Elect stood as a Conservative candidate in the council election in the Holywell ward in Oxford. He polled 165 votes, coming third behind the Liberal Democrats (564 votes), and the Green party (276 votes).

However, it had been reported prior to polling day that his nomination paper was the subject of a police investigation, centering on allegations that some of the signatures on it were forged, and this led to calls within OUCA for his resignation.

An open letter to the Cherwell, signed by 24 current and former OUCA officers and officials, called on Steel to resign, despite the lack of evidence or formal charges against him.

On Wednesday 3rd May, it emerged that OUCA President Simon Clarke had forged the signature of Alexander Samuels, an Ex-President of OUCA, copying it from a cheque to a bank mandate form for OUCA's bank account.

On Wednesday 10th May, Clarke resigned during OUCA Council, acknowledging his own contribution to the ongoing controversy. His resignation was followed by that of several other officers (including several signatories to the previous week's letter to Cherwell). The departing Treasurer and Treasurer-Elect were both reported as referred to Steel's failure to resign in their resignation statements. Ironically, following Clarke's resignation, Steel succeeded him as President.

2005

George Galloway OUCA visit

In Michaelmas 2005, a visit by the RESPECT MP, George Galloway was cancelled due to constituency affairs. A minor controversy erupted over the affair, when the Oxford University Labour Club claimed that Galloway had cancelled due to the publication of an open letter by OULC's co-chairs calling on him to boycott OUCA. Not only did Galloway?s Westminster office say that they had ?not received a letter protesting against the visit, or heard anything about one?.http://www.cherwell.org/news/ouca_and_oulc_in_bitter_battle_over_labour_club_presidents_galloway_letter, but it also transpired that he could not speak to the Oxford University Newman Society as he was detained in London. This led to the OULC backing down over the issue.

2002

Emily Wentz/Jamie Gardiner - Electoral Integrity

In 2002, claims about the validity the appointment as Returning Officer of Emily Wentz, girlfriend of the then-President, Jamie Gardiner, led to public disputes within OUCA, and to a "constitutional crisis" and a number of internal disciplinary tribunals.

Past Presidents

See also

• Cambridge University Conservative Association

References

1. ↑ OUCA website
2. ↑ Financial Times, 22/5/08 "Students back in force as party regains its 'cool'" http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3205128e-279a-11dd-b7cb-000077b07658.html
3. ↑ OUTRG merges with OUCA

1. Oxford Student: OUCA PMs to judge Gardener? (Trinity Term 2003)
2. Oxford Student: Oxford Tories wake up Bottomley (Hilary Term 2003)
3. Oxford Student: OUCA President survives by single vote (Hilary Term 2005)
4. Oxford Student: OUCA treasurer stripped of office (Hilary Term 2006)

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 Jstor link

External links

• Official website