History
The Peel Club, historically referred to as Glasgow University Peel Club, [7] was founded in 1836 as a political association at the University of Glasgow. It was named after its patron Sir Robert Peel, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom under William IV and, later, Queen Victoria. [8] [9] It was intended to serve as a platform for discussing Conservatism and public policy, engaging in debate and rhetoric, and assisting with Conservative election campaigns. Some sources state that the Peel Club was founded in annual commemoration of Sir Robert Peel's election to the position of Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, due to his Conservative leanings. [8] [10] Sir James Graham, sometime Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, stated that the founding of the Peel Club was the first political organisation of its kind in the walls of the University of Glasgow. [10] After Peel's death in 1850, the Peel Club was disbanded and replaced by a new organisation in 1852 called Glasgow University Conservative Club, which after 120 years in 1972 became Glasgow University Conservative Association. [11]
A particular aim of the club, which would later be restated in the 1972 Constitution, was to preserve the dignity of the Rectorial Chair of the university by promoting prominent Conservatives to occupy the position. This has resulted in many famous Conservative candidates, the most notable of whom was Benjamin Disraeli, who was elected to the three-year term in 1871 and 1874. [12] The Peel Club's role was debated in the House of Commons in 1840. [10] Concerns were raised about whether universities should allow such political organisations to operate, as it was argued that they could contribute to disorderly or frivolous activities among the student body. The matter was brought before the House by Robert Wallace, MP for Greenock, [10] who argued that university professors, especially those funded by the nation, should abstain from endorsing or supporting political meetings conducted by students, to preserve the institution's neutrality. The motion was withdrawn without being put to a vote. [10]
The Peel Club's involvement in student elections sparked public protests against what was perceived as politically motivated and trivial behaviour. Political figures, including Sir James Graham and Peel, engaged in discussions about the club, highlighting the significant attention the issue attracted. Eventually, it was suggested that Glasgow University professors should directly address the matter to prevent further controversies. [13]
Activities
Today, the Association operates as a forum for students to discuss Conservative politics and participate in events and campaigning in Glasgow and further afield around Scotland. The Association is affiliated with the national Conservative Party through Scottish Young Conservatives which brings together associations of young conservatives throughout Scotland, mainly through university groups.
The Association is operated by a six-strong Executive, which comprises the President, vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Outreach Officer, and Union Officer who are elected on an annual basis at the association's Annual General Meeting in May. The society also boasts having had Ruth Davidson as its honorary President in the past.
The Association executive organises a range of events throughout the academic year. This primarily includes the Annual St Andrew's Day Dinner held every year in November, as well as its monthly 'Pint & Policy' events. The Association also regularly campaigns for the Conservative Party for elections at all levels across the country.
The University of Glasgow is a public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in 1451 [O.S. 1450], it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Along with the universities of St Andrews, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, the university was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century. Glasgow is the largest university in Scotland by total enrolment and, with over 15,900 postgraduates, the fifth-largest in the United Kingdom by postgraduate enrolment.
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet,, was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–1835). He previously was Home Secretary twice. He is regarded as the father of modern British policing, owing to his founding of the Metropolitan Police while he was Home Secretary. Peel was one of the founders of the modern Conservative Party.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also was Secretary of State for War twice, in the cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery. He was the first First Lord of the Treasury to be officially called the "Prime Minister", the term only coming into official usage five days after he took office. He remains the only person to date to hold the positions of Prime Minister and Father of the House at the same time, and the last Liberal leader to gain a UK parliamentary majority.
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John Campbell Shairp was a Scottish critic and man of letters.
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The Peelites were a breakaway political faction of the British Conservative Party from 1846 to 1859. Initially led by Robert Peel, the former Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846, the Peelites supported free trade whilst the bulk of the Conservative Party remained protectionist. The Peelites later merged with the Whigs and Radicals to form the Liberal Party in 1859.
Glasgow University Union (GUU) is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885.
The Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, also known simply as the Students' Representative Council or by the acronyms GUSRC and SRC is a student union at the University of Glasgow. Unlike at other universities in the United Kingdom, the University of Glasgow operates a unique system, with four separate and independent bodies providing services to the student body. In contrast with the Glasgow University Union, Queen Margaret Union, and Glasgow University Sports Association, which provide social and sporting facilities for their members respectively, the SRC is responsible for representing the views and interests of the student body to the University.
The Lord Rector of The University of Edinburgh is elected every three years by the students and staff at The University of Edinburgh. Seldom referred to as Lord Rector, the incumbent is more commonly known just as the Rector.
George Smythe, 7th Viscount Strangford, styled The Honourable George Smythe until 1855, was a British Conservative politician, best known for his association with Benjamin Disraeli and the Young England movement. He served briefly as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1846 under Sir Robert Peel.
The High School of Glasgow is a private, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the choir school of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, and is the oldest school in Scotland, and the twelfth oldest in the United Kingdom. On its closure as a selective grammar school by Glasgow City Corporation in 1976, it immediately continued as a co-educational independent school as a result of fundraising activity by its Former Pupil Club and via a merge by the Club with Drewsteignton School. The school maintains a relationship with the Cathedral, where it holds an annual service of commemoration and thanksgiving in September. It counts two British Prime Ministers, two Lords President and the founder of the University of Aberdeen among its alumni.
The Snell Exhibition is an annual scholarship awarded to students of the University of Glasgow to allow them to undertake postgraduate study at Balliol College, Oxford. The award was founded by the bequest of Sir John Snell in a will made in 1677, although the original stipulation referred to the University of Oxford, rather than Balliol in particular. Snell died on 6 August 1679, but wrangling over the will meant that it was nearly twenty years before the first scholarships were awarded; the first four Snell Exhibitioners were admitted to Balliol in mid-1699.
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The Glasgow Academy is a coeducational private day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2016, it had the third-best Higher level exam results in Scotland. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest continuously fully private school in Glasgow.
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"Alienation" was Jimmy Reid's inaugural address as Rector of the University of Glasgow. Reid's election in October 1971 came during his attempt to save jobs at the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, threatened by cuts in government subsidies. The address was delivered on 28 April 1972 to students and the university court in Bute Hall. Reid's subject was Marx's theory of alienation and he used the example of the modernisation of the Clyde shipyards which he considered risked breaking the pride workers had in their products. In one famous passage he lamented the "scrambling for position" in modern society and stated that the "rat race is for rats. We're not rats. We're human beings". The speech was reprinted in full by the New York Times and has since been referred to as one of the most outstanding speeches of the 20th century. It raised Reid's profile and led to a number of national television appearances.
