University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 2011
Encyclopedia
The University of Cambridge held an election for the position of Chancellor
in October 2011, resulting in the choice of Lord Sainsbury of Turville
to succeed the retiring incumbent Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
. The Duke had retired on 30 June 2011, shortly after his 90th birthday, having been Chancellor since December 1976. The election was the first time the Chancellorship had been contested since 1950, and the first actively fought contest since 1847, as three other candidates were nominated to oppose the candidate proposed by the Nomination Board. Although the election was conducted by the single transferable vote system, no transfers of votes were needed as Sainsbury secured a majority of first preference votes.
holding a higher degree from Cambridge. In effect, this means that every Cambridge graduate holding a degree other than a bachelors degree (save the BD
) has a vote. Cambridge offers an upgrade of a BA to an MA six years and one term after undergraduates matriculate
, so usually around three and a half years after they first graduate
. Additionally, MA degrees are given to some members of staff, to make them a senior member of the university. As members of the Senate, holders of other Cambridge Masters' and Doctoral degrees also have a vote.
In addition, all members of the Regent House
are also entitled to vote as they are automatically members of the Senate, even if they have no previous Cambridge degree; this includes most post-doctoral research staff with three years' service and also fellows of the colleges who do not hold a Cambridge degree.
Votes can only be cast in person at the Senate House
in Cambridge on two polling days, one of which must be a Saturday.
Although not required to wear full academic dress
to vote, voters must wear the appropriate gown; however, the university has arranged to provide gowns, without charge, to those eligible voters who do not have them. The University of Oxford
dispensed entirely with such dress requirements in 2003
.
The election was the first election for a Cambridge Chancellor to use the single transferable vote
system.
One of the candidates is nominated by the university's Nomination Board, and anyone else (whether a member of the University or not) can stand as a candidate if nominated by at least fifty senior members of the University holding higher degrees. Beyond the fifty or more nominators, there are no other requirements for candidates.
as their candidate. As per statutory procedure, if nobody had challenged him, he would then have been deemed elected unopposed on 1 July 2011, without the need for a ballot. No election has been opposed since 1950
, where one candidate withdrew before the poll; the last election actively contested at a poll was in 1847
.
The announcement on 27 May 2011 by Abdul Arain that he would be standing against Lord Sainsbury triggered the first contested election for the Chancellorship in sixty-one years.
In the event of a contested election, a ballot must take place over two days, between 21 and 28 days of full term
after the close of nominations. Since the date of the close of nominations - 17 June 2011 - fell on the last full day of Easter Term, this meant that an election could not be held until a month after the end of the summer vacation, in October 2011.
On 27 May, local shopkeeper
Abdul Arain announced that he was standing against Sainsbury, in opposition to an application to build a Sainsbury's Local
in Cambridge's Mill Road
district, which he claimed would harm the character of the area. He argued that, "once again, the university is called upon to be the vanguard of local communities", later adding, "Cambridge should be an institution that nurtures the community as well as world-renowned educational values", and that, "I'm standing for the whole Cambridge community." Speaking to The Grocer
, Arain commented, "I’m not against Lord Sainsbury personally but the university should defend the local community. Cambridge is becoming a clone town." He also compared his "outsider" status to that of Barack Obama
. Despite Arain's early declaration to stand, it took him a while to accumulate the 50 nominations necessary, stating on 3 June that he had 40 signatures, and expected to have another 10 by the close of nominations. On 6 June, he confirmed that he now had 50 nominators.
On 31 May, it was announced that over the preceding Bank Holiday
weekend, a Facebook
campaign by Cambridge graduates to draft veteran Shakespearean actor Brian Blessed
as a candidate had resulted in the necessary 50 signatures being generated. Blessed was then approached, and released a statement on 2 June that he was "absolutely staggered" by the nomination, but that he was "delighted to accept", stating in his acceptance letter, "For me, Cambridge has always been the centre of the earth, there is a brightness and light there that rivals that on Mount Everest
. The University buildings are architecturally beautiful, the whole setting is wonderful and enchants the soul. I am thrilled to be asked and wish you every success with the campaign." Blessed later added, "To me, being the next Chancellor of Cambridge University would be a miracle, because I’m the son of a coal miner", and he pledged to be an active Chancellor, remarking, "I’d like to inspire them to do expeditions all over the world. I would love to join them in expeditions, and promote adventure, adventure, adventure: I think the key to the new millennium is adventure. And it is that that I want to urge; and the university has so many projects, so many enterprises, so many departments, it makes my hair stand on end at the prospect of working with them." A poll in The Tab
amongst their student readers (few of whom can vote) found Blessed to be the overwhelming favourite amongst students, polling 63.2%, compared to 13.5% for none of the candidates, 10% for Abdul Arain, and 5.7% for Lord Sainsbury, with 7.7% voting "I don't care."
On 2 June, Cambridge Classics
Professor and Times
columnist Mary Beard
noted that despite "no connection" over Sainsbury's £82 million in donations to Cambridge University, she would "probably" vote for him, branding Arain a "publicity seeker", and describing Blessed's popularity with younger voters and students as "baffling."
On 6 June, The Independent
commented that the election had been expected to be a, "David and Goliath battle between Lord Sainsbury and local shopkeeper Abdul Arain. But this unlikely face-off could be disrupted by the unexpected participation" of Blessed.
On 14 June, it was reported that radical
socialist barrister
Michael Mansfield
had been nominated by several Cambridge academics, with the lawyer describing his candidature as, "a fine opportunity to defend the principles of Higher Education
and critical thinking in particular, which have been steadily eroded by successive governments wedded to market forces." In their supporting letter, his nominators contrasted his stance on several issues with that of Lord Sainsbury, writing that, "even if Mr Mansfield does not win this election, the campaign in his support will be able to articulate very clearly the fundamental opposition between what these two men stand for.". One of Mansfield's nominators elaborated to the Law Gazette on why the barrister was standing: "Is it too rude to call (Lord Sainsbury) a plutocrat? He has inherited wealth, and represents some of the capitalist focus that threatens the ideas on which a university is founded. We’d like to see someone who is prepared to question the establishment
."
Nominations closed on 17 June, when a university spokesman confirmed that all four candidates had secured the level of support needed to get on to the ballot paper. Lord Sainsbury made his first public statement on the election since being nominated, stating, "I have great admiration and affection for the university, built up over all the years since I was an undergraduate at King's
, studying history
and then psychology
. I also have a life-long interest in education
. I have no personal agenda, and if elected, my sole aim would be to help the university in any way that I can."
BBC Breakfast News profiled the election on 5 July, identifying Brian Blessed as "the runaway favourite" for the post.
On 24 July, Brian Blessed launched his official campaign website.
On 22 August, Blessed drew press attention as he released his first campaign video, in which Blessed described his humble origins and argued that the next Chancellor "must sweat blood to help people who are underprivileged", and offered to help in widening access to Cambridge, "with humour, and drive and soul and appreciation."
On 14 September, the Cambridge Union Society
announced that they had secured the agreement of all four candidates for each to give their own separate hustings in the week before the election, with four Q&A sessions scheduled for between 10 and 12 October. None of the candidates would be attending hustings opposite their rival candidates.
On 20 September, Lord Sainsbury launched his official campaign website.
On 23 September, it was announced in the local press that Blessed intends to spend the afternoon of one of the election days holding court in a Cambridge pub
, thanking his supporters as they return from voting. Blessed subsequently received endorsements from Cambridge alumni Stephen Fry
and Sir Derek Jacobi.
On 3 October, Lord Sainsbury gave an election interview with the Cambridge Evening News, in which he said "I’m not quite certain why any of the other three" candidates were standing against him, and he described his links to Cambridge as an undergraduate at King's between 1959 and 1963, his strong record in promoting British universities as a government minister, and his support for the introduction of student fees in the 1990s.
On 6 October, Abdul Arain revealed that he had the backing of the Cambridge's Mill Road Society, of which he is a former Chairman. He also unveiled several posters of himself, some YouTube
videos in which he set out his case for standing, based on "representing a world-class university which has deep roots in its local community." Subsequently, Cambridge Student paper The Tab commented, "This leaves radical lawyer Michael Mansfield the quietest contender so far", with Mansfield having made no public statement on the election since his letter accepting nomination four months earlier.
On 7 October, IT analysts speculated "a failure by Cambridge University administrators to understand online campaign techniques may result in the defeat of their preferred candidate for the next university chancellor - Lord Sainsbury of Turville", and predicted a possible victory for Blessed. Cambridge alumnus Anthony Zacharzewski, a democracy analyst and founder of the Democratic Society, argued that the University's failure to engage with online campaigning and to adequately publicise the candidates' web presences, "plays into the hands of the Blessed vote", since his supporters had the best-organised online presence. The same analysts also predicted "gridlock in the city centre" on the election days.
between 10am and 8pm on each day.
The results were announced just after mid-day on Sunday 16 October.
:Category:University and college elections
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
in October 2011, resulting in the choice of Lord Sainsbury of Turville
David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, FRS , is a British businessman and politician. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Chairman of Sainsbury's . He was made a life peer in 1997, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Labour Party...
to succeed the retiring incumbent Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. The Duke had retired on 30 June 2011, shortly after his 90th birthday, having been Chancellor since December 1976. The election was the first time the Chancellorship had been contested since 1950, and the first actively fought contest since 1847, as three other candidates were nominated to oppose the candidate proposed by the Nomination Board. Although the election was conducted by the single transferable vote system, no transfers of votes were needed as Sainsbury secured a majority of first preference votes.
Electorate
The electorate consists of all members of the UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
holding a higher degree from Cambridge. In effect, this means that every Cambridge graduate holding a degree other than a bachelors degree (save the BD
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
) has a vote. Cambridge offers an upgrade of a BA to an MA six years and one term after undergraduates matriculate
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
, so usually around three and a half years after they first graduate
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
. Additionally, MA degrees are given to some members of staff, to make them a senior member of the university. As members of the Senate, holders of other Cambridge Masters' and Doctoral degrees also have a vote.
In addition, all members of the Regent House
Regent House
The Regent House is the name given to the official governing body of the University of Cambridge. It consists of most academic and academic-related staff of the University's colleges and departments, and currently has over 3000 members....
are also entitled to vote as they are automatically members of the Senate, even if they have no previous Cambridge degree; this includes most post-doctoral research staff with three years' service and also fellows of the colleges who do not hold a Cambridge degree.
Votes can only be cast in person at the Senate House
Senate House (University of Cambridge)
The Senate House of the University of Cambridge is now used mainly for degree ceremonies. It was formerly also used for meetings of the Council of the Senate...
in Cambridge on two polling days, one of which must be a Saturday.
Although not required to wear full academic dress
Academic dress of the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge has a long tradition of academic dress, which it traditionally refers to as academical dress . Almost every degree which is awarded by the University has its own distinct gown in addition to having its own hood...
to vote, voters must wear the appropriate gown; however, the university has arranged to provide gowns, without charge, to those eligible voters who do not have them. The University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
dispensed entirely with such dress requirements in 2003
University of Oxford Chancellor election, 2003
The 2003 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Roy Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead on 5 January 2003.-Electorate:...
.
The election was the first election for a Cambridge Chancellor to use the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
system.
One of the candidates is nominated by the university's Nomination Board, and anyone else (whether a member of the University or not) can stand as a candidate if nominated by at least fifty senior members of the University holding higher degrees. Beyond the fifty or more nominators, there are no other requirements for candidates.
Candidates
Four candidates were nominated:- Abdul Arain, local shopkeeper
- Brian BlessedBrian BlessedBrian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
, actor and mountaineer - Michael MansfieldMichael MansfieldMichael Mansfield QC is an English barrister. A republican, vegetarian, socialist, and self-described "radical lawyer", he has participated in prominent and controversial court cases and inquests involving accused IRA bombers, the Bloody Sunday incident, and the deaths of Jean Charles de Menezes...
, barrister - David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of TurvilleDavid Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of TurvilleDavid John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, FRS , is a British businessman and politician. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Chairman of Sainsbury's . He was made a life peer in 1997, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Labour Party...
, businessman, politician and philanthropist
Procedure
In December 2010, aware that Prince Philip intended to retire at the end of that academic year, the university convened a Nomination Board, composed of the University Council, plus sixteen members appointed by the University Senate. On 20 May 2011, the Nomination Board put forward Lord SainsburyDavid Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, FRS , is a British businessman and politician. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Chairman of Sainsbury's . He was made a life peer in 1997, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Labour Party...
as their candidate. As per statutory procedure, if nobody had challenged him, he would then have been deemed elected unopposed on 1 July 2011, without the need for a ballot. No election has been opposed since 1950
University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1950
An election for the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge was held in November 1950 after the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Jan Smuts. There was a contested election as the University establishment's candidate, Lord Tedder, was opposed by a group of Dons who favoured Jawaharlal Nehru...
, where one candidate withdrew before the poll; the last election actively contested at a poll was in 1847
University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1847
An election for the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge was held on 25-27 February 1847, after the death of the Duke of Northumberland. Many senior figures in the university hoped that Prince Albert, the Prince Consort could be persuaded to stand and elected unopposed, but a group from St...
.
The announcement on 27 May 2011 by Abdul Arain that he would be standing against Lord Sainsbury triggered the first contested election for the Chancellorship in sixty-one years.
In the event of a contested election, a ballot must take place over two days, between 21 and 28 days of full term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
after the close of nominations. Since the date of the close of nominations - 17 June 2011 - fell on the last full day of Easter Term, this meant that an election could not be held until a month after the end of the summer vacation, in October 2011.
The campaign
The election came as a surprise to some, as it had generally been assumed that Lord Sainsbury's candidature would be unopposed, and an initial press announcement from the university seemed to confirm that preparations were underway to install Sainsbury unopposed.On 27 May, local shopkeeper
Shopkeeper
A shopkeeper is an individual who owns a shop. Generally, shop employees are not shopkeepers, but are often incorrectly referred to as shopkeepers. Today, a shopkeeper is usually referred to as a manager, though this term could apply to larger firms .*In many south asian languages like Hindi, Urdu,...
Abdul Arain announced that he was standing against Sainsbury, in opposition to an application to build a Sainsbury's Local
Sainsbury's Local
Sainsbury’s Convenience Stores Ltd is a chain of 343 convenience stores operated by the UK's third largest supermarket chain Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's Local stores have different branding and fascia to the company's supermarkets.-History:In 1998, Sainsbury’s piloted its first Local store in...
in Cambridge's Mill Road
Mill Road, Cambridge
Mill Road is a street in southeast Cambridge, England. It runs southeast from near to Parker's Piece, at the junction with Gonville Place, East Road, and Parkside. It crosses the main railway line and links to the city's ring road . It passes through the wards of Petersfield and Romsey, which are...
district, which he claimed would harm the character of the area. He argued that, "once again, the university is called upon to be the vanguard of local communities", later adding, "Cambridge should be an institution that nurtures the community as well as world-renowned educational values", and that, "I'm standing for the whole Cambridge community." Speaking to The Grocer
The Grocer
The Grocer is a British market leading magazine devoted to grocery sales, published by William Reed Business Media. It has been published since 1862. Its readership encompasses every aspect of the industry, from directors of the large multiples to independent retailers...
, Arain commented, "I’m not against Lord Sainsbury personally but the university should defend the local community. Cambridge is becoming a clone town." He also compared his "outsider" status to that of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Despite Arain's early declaration to stand, it took him a while to accumulate the 50 nominations necessary, stating on 3 June that he had 40 signatures, and expected to have another 10 by the close of nominations. On 6 June, he confirmed that he now had 50 nominators.
On 31 May, it was announced that over the preceding Bank Holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
weekend, a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
campaign by Cambridge graduates to draft veteran Shakespearean actor Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
as a candidate had resulted in the necessary 50 signatures being generated. Blessed was then approached, and released a statement on 2 June that he was "absolutely staggered" by the nomination, but that he was "delighted to accept", stating in his acceptance letter, "For me, Cambridge has always been the centre of the earth, there is a brightness and light there that rivals that on Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. The University buildings are architecturally beautiful, the whole setting is wonderful and enchants the soul. I am thrilled to be asked and wish you every success with the campaign." Blessed later added, "To me, being the next Chancellor of Cambridge University would be a miracle, because I’m the son of a coal miner", and he pledged to be an active Chancellor, remarking, "I’d like to inspire them to do expeditions all over the world. I would love to join them in expeditions, and promote adventure, adventure, adventure: I think the key to the new millennium is adventure. And it is that that I want to urge; and the university has so many projects, so many enterprises, so many departments, it makes my hair stand on end at the prospect of working with them." A poll in The Tab
The Tab
The Tab is a student newspaper based at the University of Cambridge, England.- History:The Tab was launched in 2009 by Cambridge students Jack Rivlin, George Marangos-Gilks, and Taymoor Atighetchi....
amongst their student readers (few of whom can vote) found Blessed to be the overwhelming favourite amongst students, polling 63.2%, compared to 13.5% for none of the candidates, 10% for Abdul Arain, and 5.7% for Lord Sainsbury, with 7.7% voting "I don't care."
On 2 June, Cambridge Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
Professor and Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
columnist Mary Beard
Mary Beard (classicist)
Winifred Mary Beard is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Newnham College. She is the Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement, and author of the blog "", which appears in The Times as a regular column...
noted that despite "no connection" over Sainsbury's £82 million in donations to Cambridge University, she would "probably" vote for him, branding Arain a "publicity seeker", and describing Blessed's popularity with younger voters and students as "baffling."
On 6 June, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
commented that the election had been expected to be a, "David and Goliath battle between Lord Sainsbury and local shopkeeper Abdul Arain. But this unlikely face-off could be disrupted by the unexpected participation" of Blessed.
On 14 June, it was reported that radical
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
socialist barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
Michael Mansfield
Michael Mansfield
Michael Mansfield QC is an English barrister. A republican, vegetarian, socialist, and self-described "radical lawyer", he has participated in prominent and controversial court cases and inquests involving accused IRA bombers, the Bloody Sunday incident, and the deaths of Jean Charles de Menezes...
had been nominated by several Cambridge academics, with the lawyer describing his candidature as, "a fine opportunity to defend the principles of Higher Education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and critical thinking in particular, which have been steadily eroded by successive governments wedded to market forces." In their supporting letter, his nominators contrasted his stance on several issues with that of Lord Sainsbury, writing that, "even if Mr Mansfield does not win this election, the campaign in his support will be able to articulate very clearly the fundamental opposition between what these two men stand for.". One of Mansfield's nominators elaborated to the Law Gazette on why the barrister was standing: "Is it too rude to call (Lord Sainsbury) a plutocrat? He has inherited wealth, and represents some of the capitalist focus that threatens the ideas on which a university is founded. We’d like to see someone who is prepared to question the establishment
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
."
Nominations closed on 17 June, when a university spokesman confirmed that all four candidates had secured the level of support needed to get on to the ballot paper. Lord Sainsbury made his first public statement on the election since being nominated, stating, "I have great admiration and affection for the university, built up over all the years since I was an undergraduate at King's
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, studying history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and then psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. I also have a life-long interest in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. I have no personal agenda, and if elected, my sole aim would be to help the university in any way that I can."
BBC Breakfast News profiled the election on 5 July, identifying Brian Blessed as "the runaway favourite" for the post.
On 24 July, Brian Blessed launched his official campaign website.
On 22 August, Blessed drew press attention as he released his first campaign video, in which Blessed described his humble origins and argued that the next Chancellor "must sweat blood to help people who are underprivileged", and offered to help in widening access to Cambridge, "with humour, and drive and soul and appreciation."
On 14 September, the Cambridge Union Society
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society in Cambridge, England and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of...
announced that they had secured the agreement of all four candidates for each to give their own separate hustings in the week before the election, with four Q&A sessions scheduled for between 10 and 12 October. None of the candidates would be attending hustings opposite their rival candidates.
On 20 September, Lord Sainsbury launched his official campaign website.
On 23 September, it was announced in the local press that Blessed intends to spend the afternoon of one of the election days holding court in a Cambridge pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, thanking his supporters as they return from voting. Blessed subsequently received endorsements from Cambridge alumni Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
and Sir Derek Jacobi.
On 3 October, Lord Sainsbury gave an election interview with the Cambridge Evening News, in which he said "I’m not quite certain why any of the other three" candidates were standing against him, and he described his links to Cambridge as an undergraduate at King's between 1959 and 1963, his strong record in promoting British universities as a government minister, and his support for the introduction of student fees in the 1990s.
On 6 October, Abdul Arain revealed that he had the backing of the Cambridge's Mill Road Society, of which he is a former Chairman. He also unveiled several posters of himself, some YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos in which he set out his case for standing, based on "representing a world-class university which has deep roots in its local community." Subsequently, Cambridge Student paper The Tab commented, "This leaves radical lawyer Michael Mansfield the quietest contender so far", with Mansfield having made no public statement on the election since his letter accepting nomination four months earlier.
On 7 October, IT analysts speculated "a failure by Cambridge University administrators to understand online campaign techniques may result in the defeat of their preferred candidate for the next university chancellor - Lord Sainsbury of Turville", and predicted a possible victory for Blessed. Cambridge alumnus Anthony Zacharzewski, a democracy analyst and founder of the Democratic Society, argued that the University's failure to engage with online campaigning and to adequately publicise the candidates' web presences, "plays into the hands of the Blessed vote", since his supporters had the best-organised online presence. The same analysts also predicted "gridlock in the city centre" on the election days.
The election
It was confirmed by the university authorities on 18 June that the two polling days would be held on Friday 14 October and Saturday 15 October 2011, with voting taking place in the Senate HouseSenate House (University of Cambridge)
The Senate House of the University of Cambridge is now used mainly for degree ceremonies. It was formerly also used for meetings of the Council of the Senate...
between 10am and 8pm on each day.
The results were announced just after mid-day on Sunday 16 October.
| Lord Sainsbury of Turville, K King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University.... |
2,893 | 52.1 |
| Mr Brian Blessed | 1,389 | 25.0 |
| Michael Mansfield QC | 964 | 17.3 |
| Mr Abdul Arain | 312 | 5.6 |
External links
- Official information on election arrangements
- Abdul Arain for Chancellor Facebook page
- Brian Blessed for Chancellor - official campaign website
- Election statement from Michael Mansfield QC
- David Sainsbury official site
See also
- List of Chancellors of the University of Cambridge
- University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1950University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1950An election for the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge was held in November 1950 after the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Jan Smuts. There was a contested election as the University establishment's candidate, Lord Tedder, was opposed by a group of Dons who favoured Jawaharlal Nehru...
- University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1847University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1847An election for the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge was held on 25-27 February 1847, after the death of the Duke of Northumberland. Many senior figures in the university hoped that Prince Albert, the Prince Consort could be persuaded to stand and elected unopposed, but a group from St...
- University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1811University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1811The University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1811 was an election for the post of Chancellor of Cambridge University. The election was triggered by the death of the previous incumbent, Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, and it was the first contested election for the post since 1748.There...
- University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1748University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1748The University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1748 was an election for the post of Chancellor of Cambridge University. The election was triggered by the retirement of the previous incumbent, Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset in February 1748....
- University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 1626
- University of London Chancellor election, 1981University of London Chancellor election, 1981The 1981 University of London election for the position of Chancellor was called upon when the incumbent Chancellor, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother announced in December 1980 that she was retiring from the position...
- University of Oxford Chancellor election, 2003University of Oxford Chancellor election, 2003The 2003 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Roy Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead on 5 January 2003.-Electorate:...
- University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1987University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1987The 1987 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton on 29 December 1986.-Electorate:...
- University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1925University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1925The 1925 University of Oxford election for the position of Chancellor was called upon the death of the incumbent Chancellor, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston on 20 March 1925.-Electorate:...
:Category:University and college elections