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Candidates for Edinburgh Rector
Three candidates will go head to head in an election to select the University of Edinburgh’s 50th Rector.
They are MSP George Foulkes, MP George Galloway and journalist Iain Macwhirter.
The election will mark 150 years since William Gladstone first took up the post of Rector at the University, after the role was established by an 1858 Act of Parliament.
Hustings and Election
Hustings will be held at 8.30pm at the Teviot Debating Hall on Tuesday, 10 February - the evening before the election opens.
Candidates will put forward their arguments for election and take questions from the electorate.
Staff and students will then be able to vote online through the University web portal, MyEd, from 9am Wednesday, 11 February until 7pm on Thursday, 12 February.
Find out more about the candidates for Rector.
Rector history
The Rectorial election takes place every three years.
Past Rectors include Prime Ministers Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Stanley Baldwin and Gordon Brown, when he was a student at Edinburgh.
The current Rector is the former Green MSP Mark Ballard. Others to hold the position include:
- Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin
- James Robertson Justice, actor
- Magnus Magnusson, journalist and presenter
- Muriel Gray, journalist and broadcaster
- Donnie Monro, singer
- John Colquhoun, footballer
- Tam Dalyell, MP
The Rector plays an important role as chair of our governing body, the University Court. Campaigning can now start for what promises to be a lively election and we hope for a good turnout.
Dr Alexis Cornish
Deputy Returning Officer for the Rectorial Elections
This article was published on Feb 12, 2009