Mutiny at the Union as President Sullivan is abandoned by Union Officials

In a letter signed by Union officials, including Ex-Returning Officers and over half of the Deputies, the President of the Oxford Union is accused of having “either misunderstood… or deliberately [ignored] the Rules”, in an attempt to prevent questions about his expenses from being brought before the Thursday debate last week.

The five page letter addressed personally to Sullivan was sent out just before Standing Committee today, and includes a 1500+ word explanation of how Sullivan’s decisions over the last week have been “not within the Rules.”

A body of nearly ten officials told Sullivan (above) that they “strongly disagree with almost every decision made… in the meeting.”

Other accusations levelled against the President include that he “unjustly [overrode] the opportunity of the House to discuss [his expenses]”

The letter was signed by two ex-Returning Officers, as well as five Deputy Returning Officers, whose roles include “[advising] Standing Committee upon [the rules’] content and interpretation.”

The signatories go on in the letter to state that they “want to express in the strongest possible terms [their] dissatisfaction and dismay at the way in which the Rules have been treated… Needless to say [they] strongly disagree with almost every decision made… in the meeting.”

The letter goes on to warn that “We believe the President may have opened himself up to disciplinary action as a consequence of his actions…”

Chryssanthopoulos leaving the debate chamber on Thursday, protesting against Sullivan’s attempt to prevent his own expenses being discussed in public.

President Sullivan has had a rough week, and these allegations of having potentially “deliberately[ignored] the Rules” comes after the Librarian walked out of the Thursday debate before his shocking resignation, citing being told “[the Union] should not air its dirty laundry in public”, and going on to accuse Sullivan of “avoiding answering the difficult questions in public.”

The Union has been in turmoil since it was revealed last week that Sullivan attempted to spend £1200 of Union members’ money attempting to gag the Tab from reporting allegations that Sullivan was a member of  “the Banter Squadron”- allegations that Sullivan knew to be true.