About

The Oxford University Conservative Association was founded in 1924 in response to the emergence of the first Labour government, which led to demands for a revamped Oxford Conservatism, which had previously been represented by a disparate multitude of dining clubs. Its first recruitment notice declared its purpose: “to strengthen the Conservative cause among undergraduates and to ground that cause on its broadest foundations“. Shortly after, the association secured a visit from Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and in 1938 Winston Churchill addressed OUCA in a meeting in the debating chamber at the Oxford Union. In 1937, at the height of the Spanish Civil War, Franco-supporter John Stokes was beaten by moderate republican supporter Edward Heath by 40 votes to 33. Under Heath’s leadership OUCA also moved into the anti-appeasement camp and backed Anthony Eden against the party leadership.

OUCA had its first woman President, Rachel Willink of Lady Margaret Hall, in 1945, twenty years before the Oxford Union even admitted women as members. In Michaelmas 1946 Margaret Roberts became President, with membership passing the one thousand mark for the first time since the 1920s. Isis commented that “the Conservative Association under the queenly sway of Margaret Roberts is at the height of its post-war boom”. In 1945, in response to the Labour election victory, the association’s policy committee, including the then Margaret Roberts, produced an extensive report on the role of the party and OUCA in post-war politics.

Over its eighty six year history, OUCA has been a breeding ground for numerous politicians; former Presidents include two Prime Ministers, three leaders of the Conservative Party and thirteen former cabinet ministers. Three members of the current Cabinet were OUCA Presidents – William Hague, Dominic Grieve and Jeremy Hunt – and a fourth, Sir George Young was an association officer. At the forthcoming 2010 General Election, five former Presidents are standing as Conservative prospective parliamentary candidates. However, some OUCA alumni have apparently strayed from Conservatism after leaving university. Phillip Whitehead, President in Trinity Term 1960, went on to become a Labour MP whilst Labour Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant and UKIP MEP the Earl of Dartmouth are reported to be former officers. In 2006, former OUCA Secretary Philip Hollobone MP, revealed his Oxford contemporary Labour Cabinet Minister Ed Balls had been a member.

Today the Association continues to provide a Conservative voice within the University and communicate the ideas of its members to the Party. With the merger of the Oxford Tory Reform Group, (which had provided an alternative forum of Conservative debate for students since 1965) in 2007, the association represents a broad base of Conservative opinion. In September 2009, members voted unanimously to officially affiliate with Conservative Future, the party’s youth wing, which has helped to strengthen links with the local and national party. In March 2010, an Association event in support of Oxford West parliamentary candidate, Nicola Blackwood, was used to launch Conservative Future’s national ‘Time to Get Involved‘ campaign.

The association has been a committed campaigning force in recent elections, fielding candidates in the 2007 Oxford City Council elections, campaigning for Boris Johnson in the 2008 London Mayoral Election and has been working hard to help win back Oxford West and Abingdon at the forthcoming General Election. The association spreads the Conservative message within the University through the hosting of prominent speakers and more informal student led debates and social events. There are typically three to six speakers each term and include both current and former Conservative politicians including David Cameron, Michael Howard, Iain Duncan Smith, John Redwood and Lord Lawson as well as others from within the political domain including journalists and writers such as Michael Dobbs, Charles Moore and Iain Dale. During term the association holds weekly ‘Port and Policy‘ debates, which are an opportunity for students to debate topical issues relatively informally. The association also organises regular social events for members often held with charities and conservative think tanks. In February 2010, a sub-committee, the Oxford Conservative Policy Forum was founded to provide a more formal outlet for policy discussions that has resulted in the production of a pamphlet on social policy.