Final candidates named in Oxford University Chancellor race

Applications for the largely ceremonial, yet significant, role of Chancellor at Oxford University are now closed and 38 candidates are in the running, including some well-known politicians such as Lord Peter Mandelson and Lord William Hague.

The first round of voting for the unpaid role will lake place later this month and the top five candidates will go on to a second round beginning in November.

It comes after Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes, announced he would retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. The new Chancellor will be in post for a decade.

The prestigious university said that an open application process had been used for the first time to "attract applicants from a wide range of backgrounds".

A full list of candidates and their statements can be found HERE.

Lord Mandelson, who studied at the university, is the former Labour business secretary and EU trade commissioner.

Meanwhile, Lord Hague was formerly leader of the Conservative party and studied philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) at Magdalen College after arriving from a comprehensive school.

Rt Hon Dominic Grieve is also on the candidate list. He is a British barrister and former politician who served as the shadow Home Secretary from 2008 to 2009. He was the president of the Oxford University Conservative Association in 1977.

Cricket star and former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan had been in the running but earlier this month, it was revealed he had been disqualified from the race by the university.

Professor Simon Kay, a reconstructive surgeon, is also among the candidates as is lawyer Elish Angiolini - the former solicitor general of Scotland.

Meanwhile, ordained Anglican clergyman Matthew Firth has described himself on social media as the "anti-establishment" and "anti -woke “candidate.

Lord David Willetts is also bidding to become the next chancellor at the university. Also a graduate of PPE. He served as Minister of State for Universities and Science from 2010 until July 2014 and became a member of the House of Lords in 2015.

He was also appointed chair of the UK Space Agency's board in April, 2022.

Around 250,000 university staff and alumni are set to vote in the election. They are elected by Convocation, a body made up of all former students of the University who have been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree), members of Congregation, and retired staff who were members of Congregation at retirement.