Would-be Prime Minister Tony Blair on the election trail at the university in April 1997. Photo published in the Bulletin on 25 April 1997.

During the Easter vacation in 1997, the University was swept up in election fever as Labour’s would-be Prime Minister Tony Blair visited campus.

He spoke to an auditorium of young people in the Gardner Centre before departing by helicopter.

Here is an extract of the article published in the Bulletin on 25 April 1997:

Election fever reaches campus

During the vacation the University played host to two Labour Party election campaign visits, including one from the Labour leader, Tony Blair.

Mr Blair answered questions from an auditorium full of young people, at the Gardner Centre. The event was organised by the local Labour Party, with the discussion being chaired by the Labour candidate for Brighton Pavilion (the University's constituency), David Lepper. Tony Blair spent a few hours on campus, addressing such local issues as the EU subsidies on flax farming on the Downs, before a dramatic departure by helicopter…

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