Chris Patten, the outgoing chancellor of the University of Oxford, has criticized Peter Mandelson's suggestion that the university should appoint a non-Conservative chancellor. Patten described Mandelson's argument as "a sort of stupid argument" and labeled it a "real mistake" as he prepares to step down from his prestigious position. The election for Patten's successor has attracted a diverse group of candidates, including Labour's Lord Mandelson and former Conservative cabinet ministers William Hague and Dominic Grieve. Patten, a former Conservative MP and chair, emphasized that framing the election as a left-right issue is misguided.