Sunday 25th January 2026

Profiles

Conor Niland on the space between Centre Court and obscurity

Conor Niland is a former tennis player and author of the book 'The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’ Golden Generation and the other 99%', which tells the story of his professional tennis career.

Neil Kinnock: ‘The power of cooperation is slow but relentless’

Neil Kinnock’s office in the House of Lords is small and tightly packed. One wall is entirely covered with books; the others are crowded with photographs, posters, and fragments from his political life.

Anastasia Bukhman on philanthropy, academia, and the role of investment in medical research

In 2025, Oxford University announced a £10 million gift from the Bukhman Foundation to establish the Bukhman Centre for Research Excellence in Type 1 Diabetes, dedicated to improving diabetes treatments and finding a cure. 

Andy Beckett on Balliol politics, Labour’s dilemmas, and culture wars

Andy Beckett is a British journalist and historian. He studied Modern History at Balliol...

Brian Cox: ‘My problem is with the American system’

Brian Cox is a classically trained Scottish actor, known for his roles as Logan Roy in Succession and Agamemnon in Troy. He has received...

Student spotlight: Alec Tiffou on monasteries, Lou Reed’s Berlin, and the process of play-writing

Alec Tiffou is a student playwright for Matchbox Productions. His past two plays, Daddy Longlegs and Moth, have ran sold-out shows at the Michael...

Mark Goldring, Asylum Welcome and ex-Oxfam CEO: ‘In Oxford, our solidarity was stronger than the extreme right’

Mark Goldring is the outgoing CEO of Asylum Welcome, a local organisation in Oxford that assists asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants. He had...

Tom Egerton: “There’s no point judging a prime minister or a government fairly if you’re not going to look at what wicket they’re playing...

Tom Egerton has worked with Sir Anthony Seldon on The Conservative Effect 2010-24: 14 Wasted Years?, The Impossible Office? The History of the British...

Shashi Tharoor, UN diplomat, novelist, politician, and historian, speaks to Cherwell about his work and career

Dr Shashi Tharoor is an Indian politician, writer, and former diplomat. He has written twenty-six books spanning history, politics, biography, religion, literary criticism, fiction,...

Rory Stewart on populism, podcasting, and why he left the Bullingdon Club

Rory Stewart has been an academic, podcaster, writer, diplomat and politician. He read PPE at Balliol. While an undergraduate, he tutored Princes William and...

Alan Johnson on his time as Home Secretary, raising tuition fees, and why he loves Harold Wilson

"This idea that higher education should be completely free is ludicrous."

Baroness Janet Royall: “We’ve got to always search for new ways of bringing people in and for breaking down those perceptions of elitism”

Baroness Jan Royall is a British Labour Party politician and currently, the Principal of Somerville College. She has been an MP, a member of...

Peter Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein draw student scrutiny ahead of Oxford Chancellor election

Lord Peter Mandelson, a frontrunner to be the next Oxford Chancellor, was questioned over his ties to the late sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein by the President of the Oxford Union during his latest appearance.

Margaret Casely-Hayford: “Some people see me as the diversity candidate, I don’t mind it.”

If Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE were to be elected as Oxford’s Chancellor, she would be both the first woman and ethnic minority to rise to...

Matthew Firth: ‘Make Oxford great again.’

Rules and process changes mean that this year’s Chancellor election has more candidates than ever before, with many seizing the chance to get some...

Lady Elish Angiolini: “It’s about affection for the university and its students, academics, fellows, and administrative staff.”

Lady Elish Angiolini is a distinguished lawyer, having been Lord Advocate of Scotland from 2006 to 2011, and currently occupying the position of Lord...

Eileen Gu on Olympic skiing, fashion modelling, and studying at Oxford

In China and beyond, Eileen Gu is an icon. You see her defy gravity with impossible spins as the first woman to land a...

Dominic Grieve: “The point is, can one be useful for the university? I think I can.”

Dominic Grieve KC is ready for the job, or as ready as you can be for a job that has no real defined role....

Lord Hague: “Oxford made a huge difference to my own life. I believe in helping other people have the same transformative experience.”

https://youtu.be/emJnKTlaTMo Lord William Hague is certain that we are headed for a “decade of change” and is convinced that he is the person to steer...

Lord Peter Mandelson on New Labour, his time at Oxford, and why he is running to be University Chancellor

"Oxford is a global university, and I believe it needs a global Chancellor"

James O’Brien on Brexit, Boris Johnson, and making radio go viral

"Nigel Farage thought he was coming in to have his tummy tickled. I helped him soil himself."

Max Fosh on viral pranks, comedy tours, and the art of posh self-deprecation

Max Fosh is a YouTuber and stand-up comedian, who first garnered acclaim for his StreetSmart series of street interviews. Fosh then expanded towards more...

A ‘golden age’ for Oxford: In conversation with Chancellor Patten

Lord Christopher Patten has been the Chancellor of Oxford University since 2003. Before that, he acted as the last Governor of Hong Kong and...

In conversation with Moe Sbihi, the British rower ‘Stockholm Syndrome-d’ into Olympic gold 

Three-time Olympic medallist, World Champion rower, MBE, the first British Muslim Olympic flag bearer: the highly decorated Moe Sbihi seems to have done it...

Follow us