Rishi Sunak has waded into a row over the election of Oxford University‘s new chancellor by warning against ‘divisive’ efforts to restrict choice by race, age or sex.
Tory MPs are in uproar over a changing of the rules for the election of a new chancellor, in what some have claimed is a ‘stitch-up’.
Lord Patten of Barnes, the former Conservative chairman and ex-governor of Hong Kong, has been chancellor since 2003 but is due to retire in the summer.
Under past rules, candidates to become chancellor could stand for election by alumni and staff if they were nominated by 50 Oxford graduates or academics.
But, in a rule change announced this month, an election committee will now vet nominees ‘having due regard to the principles of equality and diversity’.
Government ministers are reported to have privately raised fears the move is an attempt to stop the role of chancellor going to another older, white, male politician.
The Department for Education is also claimed to be monitoring the election ‘closely’ over concerns it is designed to install a ‘woke‘ candidate.
Critics have hit out at the university for adopting an ‘undemocratic, Politburo-style election approach’.
One lecturer has branded the rule change ‘incredibly petty’ and claimed it ‘illustrates the control freak tendencies of modern academic managers’.
Rishi Sunak has waded into a row over the election of Oxford University ‘s new chancellor by warning against ‘divisive’ efforts to restrict choice by race, age or sex
Tory MPs are in uproar over a changing of the rules for the election of a new Oxford University chancellor, in what some have claimed is a ‘stitch-up’
Lord Patten of Barnes, the former Conservative chairman and ex-governor of Hong Kong , has been chancellor since 2003 but is due to retire in the summer
In a letter to The Times, Tory MPs expressed concern about plans to ‘move from a system of electing… to what is effectively a form of selection by a small committee of insiders’
In a letter to The Times today, a group of Tory MPs expressed their concerns about Oxford’s plan to ‘move from a system of electing its chancellor to what is effectively a form of selection by a small committee of insiders’.
‘The new rules stating that candidate selection must have “due regard to the principles of equality and diversity” are vague and undefined,’ they wrote.
‘Where other universities around the world have moved away from meritocracy, the results have been disastrous. Oxford should not go down the same road.’
This is an apparent reference to Claudine Gay’s resignation in January as president of Harvard University, amid criticism over her comments about anti-Semitism on campus.
She was also hit by allegations she had plagiarised some of her academic work.
Ms Gay, the first black person and only the second woman to serve as president, quit after just six months as head of the prestigious US university.
Her tenure was the shortest in its 388-year history and her resignation raised questions over Harvard’s vetting processes.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who mounted a campaign to remove Ms Gay from her position, suggested she had only been appointed because she fitted with diversity, equity and inclusion critieria.
The letter to the newspaper from Tory MPs was signed by former Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke, as well as Miriam Cates, Danny Kruger, Chris Green, Tom Hunt, James Grundy, and Neil O’Brien.
The chancellorship of Oxford University is largely a ceremonial role, with previous holders of the position including ex-PMs Harold MacMillan and the Duke of Wellington, as well as Oliver Cromwell.
Asked about criticism of Oxford University’s new process for choosing Lord Patten’s replacement, Mr Sunak’s spokesman said the election was ‘a matter for Oxford University’.
But he added: ‘It is important that democratic processes are followed. As we’ve said before, restricting candidates on the basis of race, age or sex is divisive.’
A spokesman for Oxford University has previously said: ‘The University of Oxford’s next chancellor will be elected by Convocation using an online platform.
‘Eligibility for the role will first be checked by the chancellor’s election committee against criteria agreed by council.
‘The committee will be made up of representatives from across the collegiate university and its council.
‘Announcements about applications for the post and registering to vote will be made in due course.’