Canvassing angers students
Invasive campaigning tactics by political parties in the run-up to the May 4th local elections have caused anger and discontent among some Oxford students. Mass leafleting to colleges has been supplemented by canvassers entering secure college accommodation in an attempt to persuade students on their doorstep.
Last Sunday a Liberal Democrat canvasser entered private student residence at Worcester College to leaflet and knock at student rooms, provoking an angry response from students living in the college-owned block. Second year Engineer Dov Tate said, “I was quietly doing a bit of work, when a knock at the door turned out to be a woman I had never met with a clipboard. She was on her own, and began interrogating me about election principles.
“We live in secure residence, and leave our doors open in trust. For all I knew she was there to empty people’s rooms, but it turned out she was there to empty people’s minds.” Resident Sub-Dean Jason Mander subsequently emailed students in the building, saying, “Can I remind you that political campaigning of any sort within college property is prohibited.
The female canvasser was let into Worcester accommodation by Sam Rowlands, Ex-President of OU Liberal Democrats, and a Worcester student. History student Rowlands, confirmed that he had let the researcher - a campaigner for Evan Harris - into the building. “A Worcester student accompanied her, and he was downstairs distributing leaflets while she was upstairs canvassing,” he said. “It’s ridiculously petty for there to be complaints about this and an over-reaction on student’s part.
However, Rowlands’ actions appear to contravene pledges made in a letter addressed to the Deans of all Oxford colleges from local MP Dr Evan Harris, in which he explained the Lib Dem canvassing tactics. The letter stated, “Any person admitted [to colleges] will invariably be a member of the university (perhaps with the exception of my self and local councillors) and nonuniversity members will be escorted at all times by the “sponsoring” college member.
Sub-Dean Jason Mason has since retracted his original objection, emailing students to state, “I am willing to accept that those in question felt they had met all the necessary conditions and had only positive intentions.” Peter Darrah, Worcester Dean, added, “No restrictions have been made against political campaigning that is not against college rules. It would be regrettable if a minor incident were blown up into a political issue.
Harris, who has been closely involved in arranging the local election campaign for the Oxford Lib Dems said, “It is not our intention in doing this to annoy anyone but we are keen to get our message across as effectively as possible and encourage our student supporters to actively campaign. “We think that activism is good and apathy is bad. The response we have received, with loads of posters going up in colleges, implies they were glad to have received them.
With regards to aggressive campaigning tactics, Harris said, “I would say that no creatures have been harmed in the delivery of any leaflets and leafleting under doors or through letter boxes is only ‘aggressive’ if the force used is excessive or if it is done with a growl.
Neil Fawcett, Regional Director of the Liberal Democrat election campaign for the South East said, “The attitude I’ve come across is that some College authorities have a presumption against political parties campaigning with students in colleges, which I find surprising, given the tradition of higher education student involvement in the political process.
Deputy Returning Officer Martin John told this paper that the Oxford election office has no jurisdiction over campaigning by political parties. “This is a matter between the colleges and the Liberal Democrats.” However, the Liberal Democrats are not the only political party to turn towards unorthodox methods for canvassing students in the course of their election campaign. One candidate went so far as to attend a student event in an attempt to gain support.
Second year Wadham student Jess Kennedy said, “The funniest sight at Wadstock was a random Green councillor turning up in a suit and nodding uncomfortably at the back to the music, before trying to hand out Green Party stickers to a group of students who laughed in his face.”
4th May 2006