NOMINATIONS for Rector of Glasgow University close today with a wide range of candidates having already declared.
Among them are Vince Cable who completed his Phd at Glasgow and served as a minister during the Tory Lib Dem coalition.
During his time in government Cable voted with the Conservatives to raise university tuition fees to a maximum of £9,000.
A spokesperson for Cable’s campaign said: “With Vince’s extensive experience and exceptional record of delivery, we believe he is a safe pair of hands to entrust this influential position to in important times such as these.”
The spokesperson did acknowledge that the Lib Dem’s U-turn on tuition fees may have an impact on his chances of victory, adding: “In the Rectorship election there is no chance of a collation and as an independent candidate no chance of party politics. He will do his utmost if elected to this historic position to protect and represent student’s interests in line with his pledges.”
Cable’s candidacy is endorsed by the Glasgow University Liberal Democrats who are organising a campaign fundraising event which will be attended by the former MP.
Students have nominated also American Brace Belden, who is currently fighting with the Kurdish YPG militia against Daesh. If elected he, like incumbent rector Edward Snowden, would serve as an absentee rector as he plans to remain with his battalion in Rojava.
Belden attracted a significant online after he started tweeting stories and images from the front lines under the handle PissPigGranddad.
The Queen Margaret Union, one of the four student bodies at the university, has endorsed the candidacy of Lady Hazel Cosgrove.
Lady Cosgrove graduated from law at Glasgow in 1966 and became the first woman to be appointed a judge on Scotland’s Supreme Courts.
Human rights lawyer and activist Aamer Anwar will be running for a second time having previously lost out in 2008 to Charles Kennedy who went on to serve two terms.
While a student at Glasgow in the eighties Anwar led a campaign against racism at the city’s dental hospital which ultimately led to the introduction of anonymous marking at the university.
He later graduated from Glasgow with an MA in Social Sciences in 1994.
Anwar told the Glasgow Guardian: “I’m honoured to be nominated for rector of Glasgow University. Glasgow’s students deserve a working rector who’ll stand up for their interests.”
Graeme Eddols, who graduated from the University in 2014, will be standing with the aim of improving sports provision on campus. The recent alumnus is currently a coach for the Glasgow University Rifle and Sporting Gun Club.
Controversial ‘anti-PC’ academic Jordan Peterson was widely reported as standing for the position, however, he has yet to formally start a campaign.
The window for nominating candidates for rector had to be reopened after no submissions were received.
Glasgow is one of five Scottish universities which elects a rector along with Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and St Andrews.
The election will be held on the March 20 and 21.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here