University Chancellor

The Chancellor is the titular Head of the University. The first Chancellor (Hugh de Hottun) was elected in 1246 and previous positions have been held by a plethora of Earls, Dukes, Lords and assorted aristocracy and not a single women. The Chancellorship is a life-long appointment and the individual performs several duties such as conferring Honorary Degrees and adjudicating in some University disputes. The Chancellor does not normally live in Cambridge but visits occasionally to perform these duties and have a slap up meal at one of the colleges. The current chancellor is HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh who has served since 1977, but at 90 years old he needs a rest and is stepping down. The Chancellor is elected by the University Senate and candidates require 50 nominations before they can stand. The plan by the University was to elect Lord Sainsbury as an unopposed candidate but a democratic system can jeopardise the best laid plans. Two other candidates have been proposed and gathered enough votes to force a proper election. The first candidate is Brian Blessed, a Cambridge graduate and actor well know for his thunderous voice and mountaineering exploits. The second candidate is Abdul Arain, a local shopkeeper who is campaigning against a Sainsbury’s supermarket opening in Mill Road. I suspect it will be a two horse race between the Bursary Sold In and the Beard Bless In. 

Brian Blessed whispering