Thursday 7th August 2025

Opinion

The Encaenia is PR without the public (or anyone else)

Wholesale reform is the last thing Encaenia needs. If only people knew what it is, it would be a well-suited PR exercise for a modern Oxford.

This is how we combat the crusade against universities

It’s easy to think of an arts degree as a fruitless pleasure. But education and academic study are intrinsically valuable.

From pensioners to students, all should fear the Palestine Action ban

If you think this is a win for one side over the other in relation to Israel’s war on Gaza, be careful what you wish for.

Trashing rules save face, not students

Trashing is banned. But what does the banning achieve except pushing students further from...

Why We Are Not All Elizabethans

Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday was packed with highly choreographed, magnificent and impressive ceremony. It was undeniably moving to see so many world...

(Women’s) football: the past, the present and hopes for the future

"Interest, support, strong passionate sentiments of support from prominent individuals – that is recent but professionalism, grit, and determination that has been displayed by the Lionesses is certainly not."

The scene at Buckingham Palace: an intersection of modernity and history

"The one person many looked to as a bulwark of stability for a lifetime is gone."

Why we were all Elizabethans

At seven o’clock on the evening of the Eighth of September 2022, the half-muffled peel of Great Tom sounded through the streets of Oxford,...

A Brit abroad: student reactions to Argentine assassination attempt

"The overwhelming tone on Thursday night was not one of grave solemnity nor political reflection, but of mockery and exasperation at yet another national crisis."

The slow death of liberty

The problem with all these superficially defendable laws is that they fundamentally change our understanding of what a right is.

What are Conservative Party Members thinking?

"What makes all of this even more crazy and difficult for me to get my head around is that the members seem blissfully unaware of just how unelectable Truss is"

Accessibility is More than a Bullet Point – On Liz Truss’ Oxbridge Pledge

"Accessibility is about empowerment. It is about knowledge – addressing the legitimate fears that state school students have and enabling them to make an informed choice about what studying at Oxford or Cambridge is like."

Oxford in the summer

"Oxford in the summer is truly a unique experience because there are the same dreaming spires without the dreamers."

Is Labour still about labour?

Some people have noticed that the Labour Party is becoming progressively detached from the needs of the working class.

A very Italian scandal: the story of Draghi’s fall

The uniqueness of Italian politics is its surreal and absurd dimensions.

A crisis on our doorstep: threats to abortion rights are closer than you think

This ‘distant’ despair is much closer than we fear.

The fall of ‘Super Mario’ – Draghi resignation now risks adding to Italy and Europe’s political turmoil

The leaders of Italy’s biggest political parties must, now more than ever, put the interests of their people at the forefront of their minds.

What future awaits the Conservative Party?

"Rishi Sunak [...] could be a dangerous choice: despite his heroic attempts to save the economy amidst the pandemic, his far-right policy and strategy since have been damaging to the working class."

Mo Farah – How Britain’s greatest athlete enhanced his legacy even further

Farah’s hope in revealing his story is that people sit up and take notice

The Trade Union Scare

It is also worth asking: how can workers respond to unjust circumstances and work conditions if their demands are largely ignored?

The Complicated Legacy of Shinzo Abe

Abe’s most cherished goal was to revise Japan’s ‘pacifist’ constitution; a goal he never achieved.

Writing on the Filing Cabinets: A State School Student’s Response to Emma Duncan

"The implication that our [state school students'] presence is a threat to upholding the average IQ here is unbelievably condescending."

Elizabeth the Last: What next for the monarchy?

"Is it right that our national anthem reveres nothing but our monarch? Is there not far more to our country than that?"

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