The Aberdeen University Conservative and Unionist Association (AUCUA) is a student
Conservative association
A Conservative Association (CA) is a local organisation composed of Conservative Party members in the United Kingdom. Every association varies in membership size but all correspond to a parliamentary constituency in England, Wales, Scotland and No ...
formed in 1881. It is the third oldest Conservative student association in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
It comprises an executive committee that consists of six positions where members are elected annually at the association's AGM. It is directly affiliated to the
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...
and the
Aberdeen University Students' Association
Aberdeen University Students' Association (often referred to as AUSA) is the students' association of the University of Aberdeen, an ancient university in the city of Aberdeen in North East Scotland. It organises recreational activities; provide ...
.
Notable former members
*
Lord Blencathra - Member of the House of Lords, former Member of Parliament for the
Penrith constituency,
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside and
Chief Whip of the Conservative Party
The Chief Whip of the Conservative Party oversees the whipping system in the party, which is responsible for ensuring that Conservative MPs or members of the House of Lords attend and vote in parliament in the desired way of the party leadershi ...
.
*
James Cran
James Douglas Cran (born 28 January 1944) is a British former Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beverley (1987–1997) and for Beverley and Holderness (1997–2005).
Early life
He went to Ruthrieston Schoo ...
- Former Member of Parliament for
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, market and minster (church), minster town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre ...
and Shadow Deputy
Leader of the House.
*
Murdo Fraser
Murdo MacKenzie Fraser (born 5 September 1965) is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2005 to 2011. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Mid Scotland and Fife reg ...
MSP – Member of the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
for
Mid Scotland and Fife and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery
*Dr
Nanette Milne
Nanette Lilian Margaret Milne (born 27 April 1942, in Aberdeen) is a former Scottish Conservative Party politician. She served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North East Scotland from 2003 to 2016.
Early life and education
...
- Former Member of the Scottish Parliament for
North East Scotland.
* Dr
David Torrance – Author, contemporary historian, freelance political journalist.
*
Derek Brownlee - Former MSP for
South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
South of Scotland was one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament when it was created in 1999. The region was replaced with South Scotland in 2011 following a review.
Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constit ...
and member of the Advisory Board of
Reform Scotland
Reform Scotland is a Scottish think tank based in Edinburgh. Established in 2008, Reform Scotland is the successor to think tank Policy Institute (1999–2008).
Reform Scotland is a company limited by guarantee (No SC336414) and a Scottish cha ...
.
* Dr
Eamonn Butler
Eamonn Butler (born 1953) is a British economist. He is the co-founder and Director of the Adam Smith Institute.
Early life
Eamonn Butler was born in 1953. His brother is Stuart Butler.Michael David Kandiah, Anthony Seldon, ''Ideas and Think Ta ...
- Co-founder of the
Adam Smith Institute
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a neoliberal UK-based think tank and lobbying group, named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist. The libertarian label was officially changed to neoliberal on 10 October 201 ...
.
*
Andrew Bowie MP - Member of Parliament for
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and former Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party
*
Finlay Carson MSP - Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and West Dumfries and Convener of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee.
*
Ross Thomson
Ross Thomson (born 21 September 1987) is a former Scottish Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from June 2017 to November 2019. Thomson was the first Conservative MP elected for Aberdeen South ...
- Former Member of Parliament for
Aberdeen South and former Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland.
*
Paul Wheelhouse - Former
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
Member of the Scottish Parliament for
South Scotland and Scottish Government
Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands
The Minister for Transport is a member of the Scottish Government who reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport. As a Junior Minister the post holder is not a member of the Scottish Government Cabinet.
Overview
The cu ...
.
Chairmen
* 2023/24 - ''Haytham Alrifai''
* 2022/23 - ''Eitan Godsi/Marco Oosthuizen''
* 2021/22 - ''Nestor Carlsen-Devereux''
* 2020/21 - ''Rami Jerrow''
* 2019/20 - ''Joshua Mills''
* 2018/19 - ''Gavin MacKenzie''
* 2017/18 - ''Emma Farquhar''
* 2016/17 - ''Emma Farquhar''
* 2015/16 - ''Alexander McNab''
* 2014/15 - ''Nicholas Layden''
* 2013/14 - ''Nicholas Layden''
* 2012/13 - ''
Andrew Bowie''
* 2011/12 - ''Declan Pang''
* 2010/11 - ''Duncan Stewart''
* 2009/10 - ''Andrea Sharpe''
* 2008/09 - ''Oliver Lash-Williams''
* 2007/08 - ''Leslie K. Clark''
* 2006/07 - ''Tobias Lebmann''
* 2005/06 - ''Tobias Lehmann''
* 2004/05 - ''Frank Webster''
Current Committee
* Chairman - ''Haytham Alrifai''
* Vice President - ''Christopher Hempton''
* Treasurer - ''Marco Oosthuizen''
* Social Media Secretary - ''Isaac Parsons''
* Party Relations Officer - ''Shane Painter''
Media
Members of the association have, in recent years, been interviewed by various news outlets such as euronews, Sky News and BBC Newsnight. They also maintain an active relationship with the Aberdeen University Student Newspaper 'The Gaudie' and regularly provide speakers to the Aberdeen Student Radio for discussion and debate.
See also
*
Glasgow University Conservative Association
The Glasgow University Conservative & Unionist Association (GUCUA) was founded in 1836 at the University of Glasgow, and is the oldest University Conservative association in the United Kingdom. It was formed as a branch of the Federation of Con ...
*
Oxford University Conservative Association
The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) is a student Conservative association founded in 1924, whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford. Since October 2009, OUCA has been affiliated to Conservative Future and its su ...
*
Cambridge University Conservative Association
The Cambridge University Conservative Association, or CUCA, is a long-established student political society founded 1921, as a Conservative Association for students at Cambridge University, although it has earlier roots in the late nineteenth ce ...
*
Scottish Young Conservatives
{{University of Aberdeen
Student political organizations
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...