Friday 8th 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...

Playing the (Long) Game: Starmer’s party address

"If one overall theme emerged from Starmer's speech, it would be this: we are going to play the game this time, and we are going to try to play it well."

Report thy neighbour

"Will we peer out of our windows to call 101 on the old woman with seven family members visiting? Or will only illegal raves be closed down quickly with responsible actions from good civilians? A new emotional challenge in this pandemic will be combatting the cognitive dissonance of our moral compass."

The Coming A-pork-alypse

"There’s nothing humane about heat strangulation—and there’s something troubling, in fact, about our willingness to hide behind sanitised labels"

Opinion: Boris cannot ‘take back control’ when there is none left

"Boris is sending the message that the law is not to be taken seriously. And if that is the case, why follow it?"

A Eulogy for America’s Postal Service

"This is a public and unadulterated attempt to sway the presidential election through suppressing postal voting."

Society Spotlight: The 93% Club

"It’s hard not to develop a chip on your shoulder when you remember the embarrassment you felt when someone in a velvet suit, with a disgusted curl of their lip, tells you that you’re using the wrong cutlery at a formal dinner."

It’s 2020, and bisexual women are still fighting to be seen

"Bi women are often perceived as being truly romantically interested in men, faking their sexuality for attention."

What TikTok tells us about our toxic relationship with celebrities

"These TikTok stars are what we have made them through our gluttonous appetite for celebrity."

Say Bye Bye to Billionaires

"If you can put aside all humanity, wrestle the other hogs away from the trough, and get your snout deep enough into the swill, you too could be a billionaire living high to the detriment of millions."

Brexit and breaking the law: ‘it’s only okay when we do it’

"I want to be clear that this is not, and should not, be a political issue. Any government breaking, or threatening to break, laws should be held accountable regardless of their political affiliations."

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Unapologetically Female

"You can imagine my surprise when, in the first two minutes of the her documentary, I’d witnessed a small elderly lady in her eighties lifting weights with the lyrics of Minneapolis rapper Dessa’s song ‘The Bullpen’ blazing over the top."

Oxford’s imperial present: ‘postcolonialism’ doesn’t mean it’s over

"What could this mean for Oxford? It requires a recognition as students and members of the university that we are not the pinnacle of merit, but the pinnacle of privilege."

OPINION: Boris’ Bill will shatter peace in Northern Ireland

"If this Bill goes through, if the Conservative party hurtles headlong into a no-deal Brexit, Lyra McKee will lose her status as the last victim of the Troubles."

Washington’s two Cold Wars

"Without the shackles of Pompeo’s convictions, the leader of the free world treats China as a corporate rival rather than an ideological nemesis."

Be more Banksy: how the UK continues to fail refugees in need

"In an alternative universe it quite easily could have been you or I fleeing war and turmoil."

Opinion: Why I won’t volunteer for access events

"When it comes time for college to recruit volunteers for open days, I find myself asking why, as a gay working-class man, would I recommend someone to study in a place which has made me feel so unwelcome."

Shadow banning and its role in modern day censorship

"Shadowbanning is a threat to us because it maintains for us the illusion of control."

Money talks: China’s approach to international relations

"The undertone to Liu Xiaoming’s interview seemed to be 'turn a blind eye to our domestic affairs and focus on the economic benefit which we can bring to you'."

In depth: Poland’s war on women

"The underenforcement of the Convention prevented it from having as much positive impact on Polish women’s situation as it could have; and thus the first likely effect of its possible disappearance from the legal system would be a symbolic approval and reinforcement of traditional, violence-inducing gender roles."

Pandemic Perspectives: Greece

"City squares and commercial districts were empty, pavements which would have been filled with tables from cafes remained bare, and the Acropolis looked over an Athens devoid of tourists."

Follow us