Oxford University Liberal Democrats

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Oxford University Liberal Democrats

Founded	1913 (as Oxford University Liberal Club )
Home Page	www.oulibdems.org.uk
Honorary officers
Patron	Evan Harris MP, Wadham
Current committee
President	Hengameh Ziai, St. John's
President-Elect	Emily Baxter, New College
Secretary	Sean McMahon, St Edmund Hall
Press & Publicity Officer	Benjamin Storrs, Hertford
Campaigns Officer	Mark Mills, St. Edmund Hall
Sister society	Cambridge Student Liberal Democrats

Oxford University Liberal Democrats (OULD) is the student branch of the Liberal Democrats for students at both the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. Previously called the Oxford Student Liberal Society, it is the successor to both Oxford University Liberal Club and Oxford University Social Democrats (founded in 1981), which voted to merge early in 1987, about a year in advance of the national parties.

As the OU Liberal Club was founded in 1913, OULD is amongst the oldest political clubs at British universities.[1] It was formed from a merger of two older Liberal societies at Oxford, the Russell Club, and the Palmerston Club, both of which dated to at least the 1870s.

Its members are active in local campaigns, especially in parliamentary elections. Towards the late twentieth century, Oxford West and Abingdon was a Conservative-Liberal Democrat marginal, but since the election of Dr Evan Harris in 1997, it has consistently sent a Lib Dem MP to Westminster. At the 2005 general election, there was an 11.2% swing towards the Lib Dems in Oxford East, which had traditionally been a safe Labour seat. The margin of victory for Andrew Smith in 2005 was 963 votes - a 90% decrease from 2001.

The society organises social events each term, and attracts well-known Liberal Democrat speakers to address its members. Recent visitors have included Nick Clegg, Chris Huhne, Lynne Featherstone, Shirley Williams, and Lord McNally. The society also organises policy debates and forums with other political societies in Oxford.

[edit] Alumni

Some former members of the society and its predecessors have gone on to have notable careers, including:

• Danny Alexander, Lib Dem MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey since 2005
• Clement Attlee, later Labour Prime Minister, 1945-1951
• Alan Beith, Lib Dem MP for Berwick upon Tweed since 1973
• Frank Byers, Liberal Club President in 1935, Liberal MP for North Dorset, 1945-1950, later Leader of the Liberal peers in the House of Lords
• Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, 1988-1990 & 1993-1996
• Ed Davey, Lib Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997
• Robin Day, television interviewer and political broadcaster
• Dingle Foot, Liberal Club Secretary in 1926, Liberal MP for Dundee, 1931-1945, and Labour MP for Ipswich, 1951-1970
• Paul Foot, Liberal Club President in 1960, journalist
• Andrew George, Lib Dem MP for St Ives since 1997
• Jo Grimond, Liberal MP for Orkney and Shetland and Leader of the Liberal Party, 1956-1967
• Evan Harris, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon since 1997
• Stephen Hawking, physicist
• David Heath, Lib Dem MP for Somerton and Frome since 1997
• John Hemming, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2005
• Martin Horwood, Liberal Club President in 1983, Lib Dem MP for Cheltenham since 2005
• Susan Kramer, Lib Dem 2000 London mayoral candidate and MP for Richmond Park since 2005
• Eric Lubbock, winner of the Orpington by-election, and Liberal MP, 1962-1970
• Lord Razzall, Lib Dem campaign strategist
• Nick St Aubyn, Liberal Club Secretary in 1975, Conservative MP for Guildford 1997-2001
• Matthew Taylor, Lib Dem MP for Truro and St Austell since 1987
• Jeremy Thorpe, Liberal Club President in 1950, Liberal MP for North Devon 1959-1979, and Leader of the Liberal Party, 1967-1976
• Paul Tyler, Liberal Club Secretary in 1962, Liberal MP for Bodmin February-October 1974, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall 1992-2005
• Helen Wallace (née Rushworth), Lady Wallace of Saltaire, Liberal Club President in 1965, academic
• Steve Webb, Lib Dem MP for Northavon since 1997
• Harold Wilson, Liberal Club Treasurer in 1935, later the Labour Prime Minister, 1964-1970 and 1974-1976

[edit] Recent Presidents of OULD

• 2008 Joe Ammoun, SEH; Martin Nelson, LMH; Jonny Medland, Qns
• 2007 Christopher Stanley, StC; Alex Worsnip, StA; Katherine Wall, LMH
• 2006 Sam Rowlands, Wor; John Colgan, Qns; Julian Naden-Robinson, ChCh
• 2005 Kate Mieske, Wad; Frederik Herzberg, Mer; Joe Chick, CCC
• 2004 Steve Harper, CCC; Tom Lavercombe, Trin; Jon Bochenski, RPC
• 2003 Chris Williams, Som; Tom Wainwright, StJ; Dave White, Wad
• 2002 Philip Thompson, Bal; Chris Hanretty, StA; Louise Radnovsky, Univ
• 2001 Sonia Sodha, SHI; Adam Killeya, Bal; Robin Gray, StB
• 2000 Nicholas Graham, ChCh/Jennifer Joslin, ChCh; Laura Davies, Keb; Daniel Griliopoulos, Mag
• 1999 Jane Blumer, SHI; Nina Percival; Wad; Lucinda Johnson, SHI
• 1998 Philip Reicherstorfer, Mfd; Alison Hughes, Som; Kate Treleaven, Ext
• 1997 James Chard, LMH; Andrew Hazlewood, LMH; Neil Carberry, LMH
• 1996 Roger Crouch, StH; Senay Boztas, Ext; Tim Ward, Univ
• 1995 Elizabeth Truss, Mer; Alan Renwick, Mer; Nick John, Univ
• 1994 Andrew Sweeting, Univ; Gordon Woods, StJ; Richard Renaut, StA
• 1993 Angus Ritchie, Magd; Mark Egan, Univ; Aidan Thomson, Magd

[edit] External links

• Oxford University Liberal Democrats
• Ad Libitum - Journal of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats
• Cherwell, where articles on OULD can be found
• The Oxford Student, where articles on OULD can be found
• The Friends of OULD, for information on the history of OULD and its predecessors

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