Breaking News: Alistair Moffat wins Rectorial election

Congratulations are in order for Alistair Moffat, our new Rector! It was a tough race with a good show from all candidates, but in the end there could only be one.

This year’s Rectorial elections saw 49% turnout from the student population. Over the course of two rounds of vote-counting Moffat received 1,956 of the 3,882 votes (roughly 50.4%). Michael Forsyth came in second place with 825 votes.

Speaking after confirmation of his victory, Moffat said:

“I am absolutely humbled, delighted and proud. We have had a wonderful week and I thank the other candidates for their fellowship. Any one of the five would have served the University very well and all deserve applause.”

Moffat is extremely passionate about St Andrews, with extensive ties to the town and University, and he will likely be an excellent Rector. He has already begun to work with Kevin Dunion, our previous Rector, and the University. Moffat shares many of the same views as the student’s Union and will most definitely be a working Rector.

From the start, Moffat has been strongly against the rise in tuition fees for English students and has expressed a desire to work immediately towards better facilities for the University, many of which he says he was using when he attended the University here in the 1970s.

Congratulations must also be given to his hard working campaign team, although we do offer condolences to those who’ve had to live with them. Those oversized, blue ‘Vote for Moffat’ t-shirts must have gotten pretty disgusting over the course of this campaign.

The Stand wishes Mr. Moffat and his beard all the best over the next three years.