University of Oxford Chancellor election, 1925

Electorate

The electorate consisted of all members of the University holding the rank of MA. Votes had to be cast in person at Oxford.

First election

Initially Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner was elected unopposed. However he died on 13 May, twelve days before he was due to be installed.

Second election

A further election was held.

Candidates

The following candidates were nominated:

Former Foreign Secretary Viscount Grey, who was to be elected unopposed to the post a few years later, was initially approached to stand. He was thought to have support in Balliol (despite his undistinguished academic record), amongst League of Nations supporters and amongst women graduates, but withdrew in Asquith’s favour.

Initially Asquith was the only candidate and Cave was approached to stand. He was reluctant to, believing he stood little chance against Asquith and that it would reflect badly on the Conservative Party, but after "considerable persuasion" he agreed to.

The election was dominated by party feeling. Asquith's grandiose title "Earl of Oxford and Asquith" was held up to some ridicule. He suspected he might lose because of the hostility of the country clergy, who still made up a significant bloc of Oxford graduates, to Welsh Disestablishment. Asquith’s political opponent Lord Birkenhead wrote to “The Times” (19 May) describing him as the “greatest living Oxonian” but his support may have done him more harm than good, as Birkenhead was seen as morally dubious (he had been a leading member of the discredited Lloyd George Coalition which had fallen from power in October 1922), and was openly sceptical both of religion and of the League of Nations. It was quipped that Asquith was “a warming-pan” for Birkenhead’s views (a learned Oxford joke, referring to the legend that the Old Pretender had been an impostor baby rather than a rightful heir to the throne).

Result

The results were as follows:

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