Tuesday 19th August 2025
Blog Page 591

Oxford climate protest drops banner from Carfax tower

Luke Dunne
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Oxford climate protest drops banner from Carfax tower

At midday last Friday, climate protesters dropped a banner from the top of the Carfax tower.

The banner drop, claimed to be a joint effort by Oxford UKSCN (UK Student Climate Network) and Extinction Rebellion Youth Oxfordshire. 

The banner promoted the September 20th ‘Global Strike’ called by UKSCN, who are encouraging students to strike and protest the lack of government action on climate change. 

UKSCN describes their mission statement as ‘radically reforming the role and power of young people in national action against climate change. To achieve this we will employ strong and repeated student-led protest to promote our diverse voices calling for a common aim’.

Activist EJ Fawcett, 17, said: “We wanted to get our message across in a way that would be noticed but would not cause any problems. We are tired of being ignored, the planet will become uninhabitable if we don’t take action but people tell us to sit down and accept it.”

Christ Church Dean Reinstated After Tribunal Case

Luke Dunne
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Christ Church Dean Reinstated After Tribunal Case

Following a prolonged dispute, Martyn Percy has been cleared to return to his work as Dean of Christ Church. 

The tribunal, chaired by a High Court judge, dismissed the claims against him. Though details haven’t been made public, they are understood to have related Percy’s management of the college, and attempted reform of payment structures. 

A statement on the Christ Church website said: “As required by Christ Church’s Statutes, an internal tribunal was convened to consider a complaint raised against the Dean in September 2018. Following a thorough investigation, the tribunal has decided that the charges are not upheld and that there is no cause to remove the Dean as Head of House. However, the tribunal made some criticism of the Dean’s conduct and found that there was one breach of his fiduciary duty.”

“We can therefore announce that Martyn Percy will resume his duties as Dean of Christ Church, on his return from holiday on 27th August. The complaint process has now concluded.”

The Bishop of Oxford, Stephen Croft, said in a statement: “I am delighted to learn that this matter is now resolved. I look forward to seeing Martyn return to the cathedral and his duties as dean of Christ Church”. 

“This news will be widely welcomed across the Diocese of Oxford. These have been testing times for all involved, and my prayers are with Martyn and Emma, the Chapter and wider College in the coming months.”

Art in the Age of Technology

Sofía Sanabria de Felipe
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Art in the Age of Technology

You walk into the plain white, concrete building, expecting a gallery of sorts. Rooms crowded with paintings that defy traditional laws of perspective and colour. What they call modern art. Instead, you come face to face with a baron white cubicle. A woman stands in the corner, holding a pair of VR glasses. She hands them to you. Puzzled, you put them on.

The room is no longer barren. Tall, jungle-like trees and vines envelop you. Sure, it’s black and white. Sure, you know that branch is nothing more than a collection of pixels. But that doesn’t stop you from reaching out, trying to touch it.

You’ve been to art exhibitions before, praised artists for their technique, thanked patrons for their role in the development of the piece. Heck, you even felt the Virgin’s pain, wanting to brush off that single tear streaming down Van der Weyden’s Descent from the Cross. Your friends will never let you forget the silent watershed that befell your encounter with Michelangelo’s David, or how that day walking around the Vatican Museums left you speechless for the entire afternoon. And so, an emotional reaction at an art gallery would be normal. But there was something about the jungle, about the 360 seemingly infinite image around you, that didn’t quite fit with your prior experience of art. As you take off the gadget, the room returning to its original state, your mind frantically searches for an explanation of such feeling. A word capable of encapsulating that artistic and cultural encounter.

It would not be until a visit to the Tate Modern Museum in London the following week, that a sufficiently accurate word, or, rather, description, of that emotive response to the VR Jungle would be provided by your brain. Drenched from head to toe (thanks to the lovely April weather), you’d come into a museum unlike any before. There seemed to be no logical order behind the distribution of art. No chronology. No development of specific, timeless techniques. If there was one thing they all seemed to have in common, it was a desire to play on your senses. And then, as you proceed to take your friend’s – doubtlessly soon to be Instagram post – picture next to a neon light digital banner, it hits you. The VR Jungle played on your senses of sight and touch. The aroma filled plant exhibition a couple of rooms before smelled like summer. And now, the glowing banner captured behind your friend, seemed to be speaking to you. There were no loudspeakers, no sound coming from the machine. And yet, you could hear the anger coming through those neon, bright pink words. And to what end? The idea that somehow, for as long as you were exposed to it, as long as you were partaking in all these experiences, you’d become part of the art.

Art has often been regarded as a creative manifestation of humans’ innermost emotions and lively experiences. With the Renaissance and Enlightenment came, in the Western World, a strengthening of cannons and rules by which to judge artistic production. For many, art became the stuff of the elite, the stuff of private school children and dinner small talk at the fancy events. Walking around museums, travelling to foreign lands in search for historically renowned works, didn’t often make it to bucket lists or weekend family plans.  Despite the number of avant-garde artists and movements, the number of Van Goghs, Kahlos, Dalis and Picassos the last couple of centuries have been witness to, these cannons remain deeply engraved within our society. It remains a somewhat complex world for a select few.

That is not, however, the case of videogames, computer simulation programmes and VR Jungles. In this globalised, “WiFied” world, developments in the field of technology are met with enthusiasm. According to a recent study by Hyla Mobile, people upgrade their phones every 2.92 years, often due to a desire to increase storage capacity, quality of camera and speed of the gadget. Thus, when modern art is created with these technological developments in mind, be that through, or as a reaction to, them, it speaks to not just the art historical connoisseur, but anyone who owns, or has been exposed to, the gadgets our 21st century life often revolves around.

Technological developments have, undoubtedly, changed the way in which we appreciate and manifest our emotions and experiences. It has provided a new channel through which one may be able to express oneself, as well as opening up the artistic world to a wider public. Art was never, in its creation, simply about keeping up a series of cannons, sticking to some laws, and displaying final masterpieces in gorgeous museums. Human creativity and expression find themselves at the core of it all. Far from being detrimental to classical works, modern, technological art has brought these crucial features to light, has fomented a discourse which, though there from the beginning, had been hiding away under centuries of prejudice and discrimination.

Mashrou Leila’s Message of Pride Prevails Following Government Ban

Helena Murphy
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Mashrou Leila’s Message of Pride Prevails Following Government Ban

Mashrou Leila may not be the most popular band in Oxford, or the UK, but they are one of the most successful bands to come out of Lebanon in recent years and are taking on the rest of the world, and they are doing it with pride. 

Music has historically been an important tool for the LGBTQ community to express their identity and to show pride. Music has given a voice to those who have been voiceless. This is particularly in Lebanon as it is still very difficult to be openly LGBTQ. Homosexuality is not officially illegal but certain laws continue to put the community at risk and attempt to minimise queer spaces and opportunities for pride.

Mashrou Leila, a group that has openly supported LGBTQ rights for the last ten years, had been booked to play at the Byblos International Festival on 8thAugust 2019, but were banned from performing after being accused of blasphemy by local Lebanese Christian groups.

The recent backlash around the group and their controversial stance and lyrics was purportedly in response to a post on social media made by the group’s openly gay lead singer, Hamed Sinno. The social media post included a picture of the Virgin Mary with the singer Madonna’s face superimposed on top. The picture was not made by Sinno and also not posted to any of the band’s official social media accounts, however the singer’s choice to share the image was considered by many to be proof enough of the groups supposed lack of morality.

Following the banning of their performance, several members of the band were for the first time interviewed and questioned by the Lebanese government on the group’s ethics, considering two of their songs in particular. One of these songs was Djin (meaning spirit in English) which was written in 2015 and has been performed in Lebanon a number of times since.

This recent ban is not an isolated incident. The band have faced a number of difficulties in having their music heard within the Middle East after being banned from performing in Egypt and Jordan, the homes of two of their major fan bases. The group’s ban from performing in Egypt came after their last performance in the country, when lgbtq flags were flown amongst the crowd, and a number of fans who were in attendance were arrested on the basis of being suspected of being gay.

On Friday, the day on which the band would have been performing in Byblos, over a thousand people gathered in the Hamra area of Beirut for a concert to demonstrate solidarity with Mashrou Leila and their message of openness and acceptance. Both the LGBTQ and the Palestinian flags were flown in a show of support for the fight for equality and freedom. The show was free, lasted for seven hours, and had a line-up of over 35 acts, including musicians, comedians, and influential figures. The show amounted to a significant moment for Pride for the Lebanese community.

Mashrou Leila was unable to attend the concert but surprised their fans with their latest music video. The group has since shared the music video across social media platforms with the attached tag line ‘to those who haven’t given up, love is resistance.’

The reaction to the band’s plight on social media has been mixed. There has been a vast showing of support for the group from within and outside of Lebanon. But, many in Lebanon agree with the decision to ban the group performing, strongly disagreeing with Mashrou Leila’s rhetoric and message.

More than anything, what recent events, and the concert on Friday in particular, prove is the power of music to unite people, against oppression and in pride. Lebanon is not an easy place to be LGBTQ, and for many people Mashrou Leila has become a vessel of pride and self-expression. Mashrou Leila’s music has evolved to take on a meaning of LGBTQ pride, as well as pride in what it means to be Lebanese.

Restaurant review: Rick’s Kitchen

Oliver Black
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Restaurant review: Rick’s Kitchen

My friend and I stumbled upon this delightful eatery by accident. Initially, we had planned to go to the highly recommended Coconut Tree with our 30% discount from The Dealer. When we arrived, it was completely full. We walked back towards Magdalen Bridge with our deal-savvy tails hanging between our legs.

We walked past a tiny place called ‘Rick’s’ and I remembered I could get 20% off courtesy of (you guessed it!) The Dealer. As we crossed the threshold we realised it was deserted – alarm bells were going off. I tried to back out, but the manager (and seemingly the only member of staff) greeted us in such a warm manner that we were guilt tripped into taking the plunge.

The manager, having little else to do, took us through the menu and the history of the restaurant (or is it a café?). It had begun as a vegan specialty restaurant (I was beginning to wish I’d had the courage to walk away at this point), but then, our server informed us it had decided to add meat to the menu. Suddenly, my choice seemed inspired – a nice juicy burger at a vegan restaurant! We were encouraged to get a mezze starter to share, which was extremely reasonable given the generous size of the portion. The manager proudly told us everything was homemade, and it really did taste fresh. Hummus nice and smooth, aubergine dip creamy (though without the cream, of course), filled our plate along with a whole range of other exciting and equally luscious morsels.

My friend, a vegetarian (now with a first-class degree, not that the two are mutually exclusive, clearly), opted for a falafel burger, which I’m told was better even than the produce of legendary student staple Hassan’s. The passion of the manager became clear when he started waxing lyrical about the cows kindly supplying my double cheeseburger.

“Argentinian”, tick. “Relaxed lifestyle”, tick. “Really clean meat” … tick? He kindly informed me this was going to be the “best choice” I’d made that day. He was probably right, but then again, the only other decision I later made was to go to Park-end.

Our orders taken, he then (as the only member of staff) went off to cook my burger. The burger soon appeared in all its glory, proudly carried out by its creator. He passionately implored me to “Enjoy!” and enjoy it I did! Meatier than a Knorr stock pot and tender as you like, the only fault I could find with my meal was in the slightly ‘average’ nature of the bun.

On the whole, I would say it was possibly the best burger I’ve had in Oxford so far.

Our host-cum-new best friend returned to ask the almost disturbing question “is it too juicy for you?”. Before I’d managed to come up with an answer that wasn’t equally as odd, he’d convinced us to try a smoothie he’d created that very day. We had no idea what was in it, but it was delicious.

As we were getting the bill, he brought us a hibiscus-based drink to taste and review (on the house), which was slightly less delicious, though still nice. I alerted him to my 20% off, but was surprised to hear that this discount only applied to Rick’s Café, not the Rick’s Kitchen that we were currently in. Frankly, given the quality of the food, some 13 pounds a head seemed a small price to pay for a thoroughly tasty and quirky meal. My single regret in respect to this outing, was that we never asked the lone chef his name. I would like to think we had the honour of being served by the eponymous ‘Rick’ of Rick’s Kitchen himself, but who knows.

Surviving on the Fringes

Luke Dunne
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Surviving on the Fringes

What it means to bring a show to the Edinburgh Fringe. Luke Dunne, producer and co-director of Love/Sick recounts his experience of taking a show to the festival.

The Edinburgh Fringe is an overwhelming cacophony of creative noise. With over four thousand shows, the competition for eyeballs and bums on seats could not be more fierce or more elaborate. See live performances on the street, posters on every surface and flyer-ers shouting from every corner, telling you anything and everything to get you in the door. But doing a Fringe show doesn’t start here for anyone. It begins months before, in my case back in April, midway through putting together my first show Love/Sick in Oxford. The plan had always been to do a couple, then maybe think about taking a show to the Fringe in a year’s time. I honestly have no idea when that plan changed, but it did, and so we found ourselves committed to a two week run in Edinburgh at pretty short notice.

I can only give one perspective on our show among many, and can’t speak for the thousands of other performers here in Edinburgh, but as a company full of Fringe first-timers our ‘preparation’ was a colossal exercise in crisis aversion, from getting our costumes, posters, and props up north in the first place, to finding accommodation, figuring out where to advertise our show and when, setting up a social media presence, recasting one of our parts etc etc. It was a steep learning curve. Admittedly, I’m one of our show’s producers so take this headache-inducing account with a pinch of salt, but I don’t think anyone would argue that putting a Fringe show together is much fun at first. Question is, why do it at all? Why bother to put on a show hundreds of miles from your home and university, why tolerate the torrid weather, why compete with thousands of other talented creative types for an audience when you could just wait for term time.  

I think I found my answer on the second day of our run. We’d had a pretty messy first performance, but after working out some of the issues in our show and blitzing the Royal Mile (Cornmarket on steroids) with flyers, we got a good audience in and sent them away laughing. That daily rush, to go out and find your audience yourself, is pretty unique to doing a show up here. You get good at talking to strangers, and you also learn how to respond politely when those strangers don’t want to talk back: (‘Seeing a show this morning sir?’ ‘Hing aff us, a’m running late ye posh twat’, ‘Oh, er, have a good one then!’). But the vast majority of people here are friendly, even the long-suffering locals, who have to put up with their city being invaded for a month.

Flyering becomes a lot of fun when you get into the swing of it, and even when it’s pouring rain and nobody’s interested you tend to make fast friends with other performers who are in exactly the same boat as you. That’s the joy of the Fringe – it’s hard work, and stressful at times, but you’re surrounded by literally thousands of people going through many of the same things you are. I’ve made friends here I hope I’ll keep after August, but even if I don’t, I couldn’t be more happy to have rubbed shoulders with cynical old comedians, drag queens, puppeteers and circus acrobats as well as plenty of fellow student theatre nerds.  

I’ve seen more theatre here than I’ll likely see in the next eleven months combined. Some of it was great, some of it less so but in any case I’m leaving Edinburgh with a notepad full of half-formed ideas scribbled on my knee, as well as a new appreciation for how hard many of my fellow Fringe acts have worked, for decades in some cases, to hone their craft and put on some remarkable shows for the rest of us.

As I write this, my show (Love/Sick, The Space on the Mile, 10 am for those interested) is still going on and I can’t give you a detached, thoughtful conclusion of what doing this show ‘meant’ just yet. But I have found out that Fringe is chaotic, it’s loud, it’s exhausting and anxiety-inducing. I can’t wait to come back.  

Oddball England must win at Headingley

Cal Flintoff
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Oddball England must win at Headingley

So, Australia have made it out of London alive: their 2005-evoking 1-0 lead standing strong after a thumping in the first encounter was followed up by a more sodden 1997-style rain afflicted affair at Lord’s, albeit minus Glenn McGrath running riot down the slope and this time the visitors, rather than 77-all-out England, licking their wounds.

Back-to-back Ashes Test matches offer little time to dwell on any lingering hauntings from the capital or to go away and redouble on any technical limitations cruelly betrayed in the middle, and it remains to be seen what lasting psychological impact a first draw in a live Ashes Test match in England since the 2009 series will have on either side: declaration momentum versus valiant resilience.

Certainly, they don’t offer the requisite window for a textbook concussion recovery and so Steve Smith, struck in juddering fashion and then inexplicably allowed to return – bouncer-drunk – in naked thirst for a fourth successive century on these shores, will sit out as the series ventures north to Leeds.

Even yer da who insists on the calling the England debutant Archer, Joffrey could spot the lasting footprint of the heat-seeking missile when the Australian maestro then shouldered arms to an in-swinger clattering into his pads. Though independent doctors will surely become mandatory as the protocol is refined in years to come, the arrival of concussion substitutes to usher in the Test Championship era already has its landmark case. The ball that delivered an electrifying jolt to this series at the climax of an encounter for the ages and will now surely go some way to shape the narrative of the coming weeks, thankfully no further.

His replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, also struck, on the grille with a nasty seaming bouncer before compiling a resistant half-century, brings into sharp focus the challenge such a tight turnaround presents for England too. Despite the County Championship returning this week, the South African-born right hander remains the only man to pass 1000 runs for the season after a five-century stint with Glamorgan, and there are no compelling England-qualified alternatives to the current top order malaise lurking in either division.

With Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley dismissed cheaply, parachuted pinch-hitter Jason Roy failing his austere examination, promoted number 3 Joe Root registering a first golden duck of his glittering Test career and Joe Denly, like Cameron Bancroft, clinging to his career via the virtue of his fielding, the existential crisis of who bats where is the worrying extent to which England can shuffle their pack before battle commences once more. Throw in Moeen Ali bowling medium pace against Northamptonshire, Olly Stone and Mark Wood’s latest check-ins to the back specialist and the hefty risk attached to gambling once more on Jimmy Anderson’s type II twitch fibres, and with it the task becomes all the more onerous.

Not since either Joe Root or Jonny Bairstow made their international debuts has the Ashes returned to Yorkshire, where in 2009 a vein-bursting angry quick called Peter Siddle claimed five to level the series at one apiece heading to The Oval. It is part of a wider trend and England have a worse record at only at Trent Bridge at home. They have lost three of their past five Tests there, including in 2017 to a West Indies side turbo-charged by Shai Hope’s twin tons and England Captain Root averages only 35.40 at the ground, comfortably his worst record at any venue he has batted at more than twice.

With their own recently imperious record at Headingley to call upon – buoyed by just a sole defeat in 2001 amongst a Green sea of triumphs in the past six meetings, skewed by but not lessened a period of general dominance – the equation is simple: win one more Test Match and Australia will have their first away Ashes triumph since the 5-match series era began in earnest.

And yet, after all that, with Mitchell Starc waiting in the wings; with David Warner yet to hit his straps; with a complex algorithm anointing Pat Cummins at the zenith of fast bowling this side of the millennium, you still fancy that this oddball England side might just pull it off. Re-invigorated by the effortless zeal of Archer: the fortnite generation’s Snow White to his pack of seven Js, it might not be too fanciful.

Balliol Boris celebration on hold

Tom Ashley
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Balliol Boris celebration on hold

Balliol College have few plans to celebrate Boris Johnson, who read Classics as an undergraduate at the college, moving into Downing Street.

The college’s July newsletter contained a short item recognising that Johnson is now at Number 10, although Balliol are not currently planning to celebrate the success of their fourth Prime Minister in other ways.

The newsletter’s headline article focused instead on the access and outreach work of the college, describing ways in which Balliol is attempting to “encourage students from groups under-represented at Oxford to apply.”

Unlike the previous alumni – Herbert Asquith, Harold Macmillan and Edward Heath – there are no plans to hang a portrait of Mr. Johnson in college yet.

Balliol told Cherwell: “It is a longstanding College Policy that we do not display portraits of currently serving politicians.”

Mr. Johnson attended Balliol from 1983 to 1987, graduating with an upper second-class degree. It has been widely reported that he was deeply unhappy not being awarded a first.

Alongside his studies, Johnson played rugby for Balliol, co-edited the university’s satirical magazine Tributary and was President of the Oxford Union for a term in 1986.

He joined the Bullingdon Club, an upper-class drinking society dominated by Old Etonians and with a reputation for colourful behaviour.

It was also whilst at Balliol that Johnson first started dating Allegra Mostyn-Owen, his first wife. They became engaged at Oxford and married shortly after leaving.

Interview: Humza Yousaf MSP

Simon Hunt
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Interview: Humza Yousaf MSP

I catch Humza outside the Grand Hall of the Stand Comedy Club at the Fringe, where he has just made an appearance to discuss Scottish politics, in a light-hearted manner, with a fairly sympathetic crowd. Not long before the show began, the Scottish Justice Secretary had left one of the government’s confidential government Cobra meetings, and was guarded about what was discussed. Humza’s capacity to make such a quick yet smooth transition from serious top-secret government meeting to having a laugh at the comedy club could be seen as exemplary of an astute, dexterous politician. But as far as Humza is concerned, the real clowning around is in Number 10.   “Far from avoiding a no deal which would be catastrophic, no deal Brexit has become a real policy choice for the government. No deal Brexit is now being looked at as an opportunity, which is beyond my comprehension. I’m more concerned now than I was previously.”

Yousaf has been asked by Westminster whether the police forces in Scotland might be pooled as a last resort in the event of any consequences from a no-deal Brexit. “The resilience of the police force is much greater in Scotland. There is a potential to pool resources from Scotland if necessary. However, if there is a belief that Scottish forces are going to be used simply to plug the gap in an under resourced police in England and Wales, then the government are misguided.”

Yousaf has recently decided to suspend use of his Twitter account, following a spate of online abuse. “My decision to give up Twitter was a bit of a slow burn. It would start with tens of abusive comments a day, which would become hundreds if I put out a particular tweet or there was some particular news about me.

“I drew the line when these abusive comments were directed at my newborn baby daughter. I had put up a picture of the new baby box I’d bought for her, and it was after reading some of the appalling comments below that I decided I’d had enough.

“I may return to Twitter later, but for the moment, I think there are more important things in life.”

Next we discuss drug addiction in Scotland. According to the National Records of Scotland, drug-related deaths in Scotland are the highest per capita in the EU, and show no signs of declining: the rate is up 27% on last year’s figures. Is the Scottish government taking the matter seriously?

“That figure is a stain on the collective conscience of the Scottish government,” Humza tells me. “It is not something where we can simply shrug our shoulders and accept it. We must do everything we can to prevent further deaths.” 

As justice secretary, does Humza share any responsibility in this drugs crisis? “Decriminalisation is a reserved power so it’s not something that I as justice secretary in Scotland can change. However, I would be keen to see the introduction of drug treatment centres across Scotland, following their relative success in other parts of Europe.

“Our approach to this issue is fundamentally as a public health rather than as a policing and crime issue. But from a policing perspective we have had successes in tackling serious organised crime and bringing to justice the criminals responsible for the proliferation of drugs among deprived communities.”

Just three days before we meet, the Scottish government paid out half a million pounds in legal fees to Alex Salmond after admitting it failed to meet its own guidelines in investigating him over sexual harassment claims. This admission was a serious victory for Alex Salmond, who had called the investigation “grossly unfair” and has undermined the credibility and rigor of the government’s sexual complaints investigative procedure. Perhaps understandably, Humza was not keen to discuss this for very long. “I used to know Alex Salmond well and work closely with him.

“As Justice Secretary I’m not in a position to comment on what remains an ongoing case. In terms of the costs involved, clearly, the government did not want to be in that position.”

Last week, Jeremy Corbyn put forward plans to lead a temporary unity government in Westminster – a coalition of pro-remain parties to avoid a no-deal Brexit. With Jo Swinson, leader of the Lib Dems, expressing a reluctance to support the proposal, instead touting the 79-year-old Conservative MP Ken Clarke as preferable interim prime minister, eyes had turned to the SNP’s 35-strong Westminster presence for an offer of support. Could Jeremy’s idea fly?

“The SNP are not the biggest fans of Jeremy Corbyn, not least because we don’t think his position on Brexit have been firm enough. But the consequences of a no deal Brexit would be utterly catastrophic.” Humza tells me. 

“If the remain parties in Westminster get together to form a pact, then as leader of the opposition, Jeremy would have a mandate to lead it.”

But how long would such a mandate last? For a fixed term, or until some prearranged milestone had been reached?

“The first thing that government would have to do is to remove the threat of no deal. Once that has been achieved, it would be my preference that we hold a people’s vote, to give people a chance to revaluate their decision given the complexities involved which we now know.”

Brexit has presented itself as quite the quandary for the SNP. On the one hand, given that three in five Scottish votes supported remain, it’s easier to make the case to this pro-remain base that it’s in Scotland’s interest to leave the UK. On the other hand, following three years of turmoil in Westminster over Brexit and without a clear resolution in sight, even the most dyed in the wool indy ref 2 supporters might be thinking to themselves, “could I go through all of this again? Could I stomach another three years of this?” How do the SNP quell these concerns? The answer it would appear, is to frame the handling of Brexit as a question of competence.

“It would be foolish of the SNP not to learn from Theresa May: she has written the manual for how not to negotiate a withdrawal agreement.” Humza says. 

“We need to make the case for a Scottish independence that would bring all points of view together, rather than a version of independence that appeals only to the fringes and the extremes, in the way that Theresa May had done with Brexit.” A soft Scottish exit seems to be the way forward.

Just recently Humza had been on paternity leave following the birth of his first child. He makes no secret about the effect that becoming a father has had on him: “Being a dad is the best thing in the world.

“In the same way that the lyrics of love songs seem hackneyed and clichéd until you first experience true love, the things people often say about becoming a parent really are true: I do feel I have a whole new perspective on life.

“My first day after paternity leave – being away from my daughter for a whole day – was especially tough. Most nights I get home late from work so I don’t get the chance to cuddle her as much as I’d like.”

Before we part company, and before I dash across Princes Street to catch the 3pm Oxford Revue performance, I wonder whether Humza will also be paying a visit to some shows at the Fringe (while he’s not starring in them).  “I’ve got family coming over from London and Saudi Arabia, and we’ll be going to a few shows together.” Will he be seeing any politics shows, like the one he just hosted? “I’ve got enough politics in my life.”

Cambridge clinch victory in Varsity Tennis

Lucy Tansley
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Cambridge clinch victory in Varsity Tennis

The last weekend of June saw the Oxford lawn tennis club travel to Cambridge for their annual varsity fixture. Ten teams headed to Fenner’s, home of Cambridge University’s side, for a sunny weekend of competition.

The men’s 5th team had a good weekend, with some well-fought wins on the first day, notably Thomas Moss, who came from match point down in the second set to win six games in a row, and then the following set, providing a glorious victory for the dark blues. They went into the second day with a 7-2 match lead, and continued the success, with the doubles pair of Harry Orrin and Justin Kenny coming from 5-1 down in the second set to produce a 6-2, 7-5 win. The team finished the competition with a 18-3 victory over the Tabs, the widest margin of victory for Oxford throughout the whole weekend.

M3 had a tough competition, fielding only six players to Cambridge’s eight. Dan Farooq notably played all his matches despite having a tennis elbow injury, but overall the team only won two out of their twenty-one matches, with victories in the singles from Thomas Griffiths and in the doubles from Mark Brooke and Daniel Heathcote.

For W5, it was a momentous year, marking their first ever Varsity match. At the end of the first day, they led 5-4, including convincing singles wins from Laura Bailey and Nicole Rosenfeld, but unfortunately on Sunday, the Cambridge side fought back leading to a narrow loss of 11 matches to 10. Elsewhere, M4 had more luck with their results, opening the weekend with a collection of straight set victories including from Matt Calow and David Heathcote, and a superb set of matches leading to a victory over the Tabs of 16-5. W3 also had a successful weekend, winning 15 out of their 21 matches, and bringing Oxford’s wins up to three.

In the blues matches, which took place in London, Oxford failed to gain a decisive grip over Cambridge; the men’s side won a third of their matches, coming away with a 7-14 defeat, and the women’s team mirrored that result, with 7 wins to 14 losses. Other results from the weekend included a 9-12 loss for M2, a 4-17 loss for W2 and a narrow 10-11 defeat for W4, meaning Oxford came away from the weekend with three wins and seven losses.

Overall then, a disappointing result for the dark blues, but the players fought some excellent matches, with some narrow losses over the course of the weekend, and the side came away with renewed determination to reclaim victory next year on home turf.

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