Peter Mandelson through to second round in Oxford University Chancellor election

Labour peer Peter Mandelson has made it through to the second round in the race to be the next Chancellor at Oxford University.

Mandelson is one of five candidates hoping to fill the role left vacant from Lord Pattern’s retirement in February.

Should he be successful, Mandelson would be the first Labour Party member to hold the position.

He will face former Conservative leader and former Foreign Secretary William Hague, former Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve, Pro Vice Chancellor of Oxford University Elish Angiolini and Jan Royall, former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Gordon Brown.

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The second round of voting will take place over the course of a week from November 18, with the winner set to be declared the following week.

The Chancellor at Oxford University serves as the titular head of the university, presiding over several key ceremonies. The incoming Chancellor will be in post for a fixed term of a maximum of ten years.

Mandelson, one of the key people behind the New Labour brand before the 1997 election, served in several Cabinet positions under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and as Labour’s director of communications. He also served as the MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004.

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