Thursday 25th June 2026
Blog Page 651

Oxford’s Covered Market turns 245 years old

Natasha Lovel
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Oxford’s Covered Market turns 245 years old

The Oxford Covered Market turned 245 years old on Friday 1st Novem- ber, having first opened in 1774. The market is filled with 63 independent business stalls, selling a variety of crafts, food and drinks. The original part of the market has remained the same, attracting both tourists and locals alike, with food ranging from Greek to Thai.

The market was first established to remove the large amount of traffic entering Oxford, making the roads tidier and safer, via the ‘Oxford Mileways Act’ of 1771. The sale of vegetables, meat, fish and herbs outside of the market became illegal, making the market a hub of activity and eradicating the street markets on Fish Street and Butchers Row.

The universal business directory of 1794 described the “new general market” as being placed in “one of

the finest streets in Europe” and was “universally allowed to exceed everything of the kind in this King- dom”. Its architect John Gwynn, who also built Magdalen Bridge in 1790, designed the market to have three separate entrances to allow ease of access for traders and buyers.

What doesn’t show up on the records is the sense of family and community expressed by the shop workers and owners in the covered market. Many of the shops are generational and have been passed down for many years, such as Browns Café which has been in the same family for twenty-five years.

When asked “What does the covered market mean to you?” the shop manager of the Indie Oxford Market Place focused on the “community aspect” and “family feel” as traders help each other in the mornings.

Oxford Aromatics spoke of the “camaraderie of all the shop owners”, while Brothers contrasted the “market spirit compared to the high street” through the “labouring friendship” at a time where “independents are thriving”.

Other comments included a sense of pride at being part of a place with such historical interest – the fact that the market has been a lively shopping centre for over two centuries illustrates its value in the community and allows us to appreciate the trading development through stores that have stood the test of time.

A florist from The Garden commented that its “nice it’s kept its traditions” and the manager from the Indie Oxford Market Place liked that even though there was new developments in the centre, the focus on independent stores which kept their family names help maintain a “connection to the past, present and future”.

Historians express concern at St Peter’s Project

Trudy Ross
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Historians express concern at St Peter’s Project

In September of this year, St Peter’s College applied for planning permission to build student accommodation next to their main site.

This would allow the second year students at the college to live near campus, meaning they would nothave to find somewhere to ‘live out’ after first year.

However, the proposed project has led to controversy among historians as it would involve demolishing the former Conservative Club at Castle Hill House.

However, Historic England has described the area in questionas a ‘sensitive site’ as a resul tof its situation within Central Oxford conservation area, and the listed buildings surrounding it. These buildings include The Canal House, County Hall and Well House, as well as the buildings of Nuffield College and of St Peter’sitself.

Additionally, the Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society has raised objections to the scheme on the grounds that the loss of the Conservative As- lociation building would: “harm and lessen the special significance of Bulwarks Lane”, which is seen to have special historical significance due to its ‘medieval character’.

They have also raised the issue that the new buildings would dominate the area and block the view of the castle mound as seen from Bulwarks Lane.

Local historian Mark Davies has also complained that the demolition of the Club would threaten the links between the city and historical figure Daniel Harris, a significant Oxford Castle gaoler and architect who died in 1840.

The college has highlighted the positive impact this project would have on student life, providing a total of 52 en-suite rooms for individuals who may otherwise be daunted by high rent prices, unfamiliar surroundings, as well as the task of finding a home situated reasonably nearby their classes and lectures.

Furthermore, the college has argued that this development would encourage more students from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply for a place at St. Peter’s.

In a request for donations to the project, Master Mark Damazer said that with enough support for the project the college will be able to, “sustain our exceptional educational community and recruit the most talented students from any background, so that they can come to Oxford, enjoy St. Peter’s to the full and thrive.”

Despite the potential benefitsof the Castle Hill scheme for St Peter’s and its students, Ward Councillor Alex Hollingsworth told Cherwell that the project is: “likely to be judged against a number of important policies surrounding the historic buildings around the site.”

Concerns over Teddy Hall welfare changes

Mariam Ahsan
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Concerns over Teddy Hall welfare changes

Concerns have been raised that a recently proposed motion in St. Edmund Hall could make it more difficult to run initiatives such as subsidising women’s sanitary products and raising awareness towards testicular cancer.

A source told Cherwell that the President and Vice President put forward a motion that would mean all spending would have to be justified at a JCR meeting in front of a group of members.

Teddy Hall’s current system allows the college to run certain programs and initiatives from a separate fund overseen by the men’s and women’s officers.

By merging all the funding together, the fund would have to be voted upon in a meeting along with other calls for initiatives.

There are concerns that the motion would only raise complications and obstacles for these initiatives that are deemed important by JCR members.

Teddy Hall’s JCR President and Vice President told Cherwell that the motion was to “hold a referendum for constitutional changes” which would see a change to the role of the men’s and women’s officers roles.

They said: “The motion was to hold a referendum for constitutional changes that would serve to provide men and minority gender identity (abbreviated men) and women and minority gender identity (abbreviated women) with representatives who could focus purely on events to raise awareness for such things as testicular cancer and to provide schemes such as funding for mooncups (n.b. sanitary products are pro- vided for free for all JCR members through the welfare fund regard- less).”

“Previously, men’s and women’s officers have served more of a social purpose, which the proposers of the motion felt could be undertaken by the social secretaries instead so as to allow the men’s and women’s officers to focus on the aforementioned events instead of social events.”

The source also described that the Executive retracted the motion when the JCR body appeared to move against the motion. When there were calls to vote upon the motion, with the intention to vote it down, they were refused this option.

A second source has corroborated these events and told Cherwell that sanitary products are absent from communal bathrooms such as the toilets in the bar, the library and around the dining hall.

The JCR President and Vice President said: “The motion was withdrawn following concerns being raised which highlighted the problems associated with women’s events having to ask for funding through JCR meetings. The idea behind withdrawing the motion was to allow the concerns raised to be properly considered and met through an amendment of the motion.”

The current women’s officers at Teddy Hall told Cherwell: “The withdrawal of the motion for editing will hopefully address the concerns that were raised when the motion was first brought to the JCR. We therefore support the motion’s content, and will continue to support it once our concerns about women’s funding have been resolved, which is what is continuing to be worked on by ourselves and the JCR exec.”

Other colleges which provide sanitary products for free include St Anne’s, Hertford and Lady Margaret Hall.

The amended motion noted that “There should be one team of officers who are responsible for organising social events in college, and that these officers should be given discretion over the use of the Entz fund.”

It further stated, “Women*’s and Men*’s representatives should have a protected fund in order to ensure the organisation of events relating to important gender-specific issues and adequate supply of necessary provisions (such as sanitary products).”

If passed, the motion will result in a referendum to change the roles, which would then come into effect from Trinity 2020 onwards.

The new amended motion will be brought back to a JCR meeting on Saturday 9th November.

Review: Yerma

Ami Griffiths
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Review: Yerma

TW: domestic violence, difficulty conceiving

On opening night, a hauntingly lyrical musical refrain in softly-sung Spanish opens Angel in the House’s Yerma, infusing the packed BT Studio with an Andalusían folk-like air on a wintry Tuesday night in Oxford, whisking its audience away to a setting reminiscent of the play’s southern Spanish roots, and breathing a wistful and deeply nostalgic sense of yearning into a dream-like opening sequence, the calm before the storm in this new adaptation of Lorca’s rural tragedy. 

As the eponymous protagonist lies peacefully on the ground, surrounded by flowers and bathed in soft lighting, there is an eerily funereal air to the opening of a play in which the central themes are fertility and unfulfilled desire. 

It is as though a funeral is being thrown for Yerma’s fertility as her hands rest gently atop her hollow belly. Ironically, childless and alone, this is the point at which Yerma (Ceidra Moon Murphy) is most at peace during the play, setting the audience up for the persistent tension throughout the production between life and death, as an inability to conceive renders Yerma’s attempts to be a “real woman” futile in her eyes. This is sense is heightened by the newly pregnant María (Millie Tupper) with whom Yerma has a close friendship, rendered complex by Yerma’s extreme, all-consuming jealousy as María enters into the latter stages of pregnancy. 

I was instantly taken in by the innocent, delicate portrayal of María, a newly pregnant, placid mother-to-be, whose fragility sits in contrast with Yerma’s ardent passions. This innocence, however, is quickly disrupted by Juan (Cameron Forbes) and Yerma’s ongoing and increasingly severe marital disputes, although a slight lack of development in characterisation leaves the audience wondering quite how these domestic disputes result in the violent end which Juan meets. 

However, what the production lacked in character development, it made up for through subtlety and skilful acting, a particular highlight of which is the undercurrent of sexual tension and desire between Yerma and her first love Victor (Alex Fleming-Brown), portrayed more through coy gestures and lustful glances than through words, painting a poignant portrait of unfulfilled lust which sits in stark contrast with the passionless, sexless marriage with Juan that Yerma remains so committed to. 

What the production exceeds itself in is the portrayal of the insidious and pervasive progression of Yerma’s paranoia and growing desperation at her inability to bear children, first, through an eerie soundtrack of the wailing baby which only our titular protagonist appears to be able to hear, and then through the cuttingly cruel voices of townspeople, signalling Yerma as the subject of the vicious attacks of the latest gossip of the town. Credit must be given to Flora Faulk for a set that complements this process of growing frustration.

Whilst some of the lyricism of the Spanish original is undoubtedly lost in translation, the Spanish essence of the original is mostly retained, the distinctly rural setting conveyed effectively through rustic accents and touches, incorporating elements of both fertility and the rural setting. 

Do actions speak louder than words?

Daniya Jawwad
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Do actions speak louder than words?

As the curtains draw in a theatre and a play commences, we, the audience, unconsciously focus on the words being said. It is true that a key aspect of theatrical works is the dialogue, since directors and writers are known to dwell upon scripts for months and sometimes years. However, due to this mindset, the physical aspect of theatre is often side-lined and becomes of secondary importance to us. Given this, what can actions accomplish, where words are limited?

To begin with, one can better understand the relationship and dynamics between characters, through their body language around one another. It is important to note that in the 20th century, there was a shift in focus towards stagecraft and gestures, therefore many examples given in this article will be of modern plays (from the 1940s onwards). An example of a playwright who deliberated on each and every aspect of the stage is Arthur Miller. One of his most famous plays, All My Sons, centres on the gradual degradation of the Keller family and the ‘deposition’ of the family’s patriarch, Joe Keller. In this play, Miller goes as far as to dedicate a whole page to describe the front yard of the Kellers’ house, therefore it must come as no surprise to know that Miller also detailed how characters must behave with one another. From the outset, it is evident that Joe and his son, Chris, are not completely comfortable around one another, though this is not completely obvious from the dialogue. While Joe is offering to hand over his entire company to Chris, he actively [moves away]from his father and Chris’ speech is littered with [slight pauses]. Through physically distancing himself from Joe, the audience can visually perceive Chris’ discomfort, which is also evident through his hesitation around his father, evidenced by his constant pauses. Throughout the play, there are instances where the characters border physical violence, reflecting the underlying tension in the family and their friends. However, no act of physical violence takes place until the final act when Kate, Joe’s wife, [smashes him across his (Joe’s) face]. The spontaneous and surprising nature of the act naturally takes the audience by surprise and we know that whatever will unfold is important. Unsurprisingly, Joe’s secret is subsequently revealed and the climax is reached, leading to Chris storming off. As Chris exits, [he pounds down upon his father’s shoulder], demonstrating the conflict between his anger and love for his father. Chris is devastated to learn of his father’s crime but cannot bring himself to unleash his anger upon Joe because he still loves and respects him as his father, therefore he only strikes his father’s shoulder. 

Another way actions contribute to our understanding of plays is how they demonstrate the development of characters as people. However this is not an exclusively 20thCentury phenomenon, Shakespeare’s King Lear has various instances where the physical was more expressive than the verbal. Stage directions are not a major part of Shakespeare’s works therefore the selective times the bard explicitly directs actions is significant. As a tragedy, King Lear the tragic hero develops through experiencing his tragic fall from grace. In the exposition, he demands his three daughters to profess their love for him and he would then accordingly divide his kingdom between them. The two elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, shower him with exaggerated and false praise, saying that he is ‘dearer than eyesight’ for them. The king delights in their praise and gives them each a generous share of his kingdom. However, when it comes to his third daughter, Cordelia, she refuses to showcase her affection because she knows her love to be true and believes that to be enough for her and her father. This angers the king and prompts him to exile Cordelia, the one daughter who truly loves him, showing his lack of perceptiveness and superficiality. As the play progresses, both Goneril and Regan alienate Lear and he finds himself shut out in a storm, with nothing to his name. He realises how he should not take things at face value, like his daughters’ exaggerated praise or Cordelia’s refusal to profess her love, when he rips off his robes, to remove any superficiality. The act of ripping off his clothes is especially powerful, given the fact that he is removing his kingly clothes in the midst of a storm and is equating himself to a peasant, in tattered clothing. 

Finally, actions can also help stress upon the central theme and ideas of a play, an example of which is Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Since Waiting for Godot is a play from the Theatre of the Absurd, which centres on the philosophy of absurdism, it naturally has a nonsensical script, pushing the audience to make sense of the plot through the characters’ actions. To put it simply, absurdism is the acceptance that life is meaningless and therefore the struggle of living with that realisation is life. Contradiction lies at the heart of this philosophy and throughout the play, the characters’ dialogue contradicts with the characters’ actions. Estragon, one of the characters, declares, ‘I’m going’ but does not move, showing how we as individuals think we have agency but in reality, we do not. This contradiction in speech and actions is common in Godot.

As shown in the examples above, actions can express and emphasise certain aspects which words often fail to do. When looking at character relationships, for example, words can often be misunderstood or can be used to hide a character’s true feelings. However, body language always reveals how a character feels about the other and thus the truth. Keeping this in mind, it is important to note that words play a vital role in complementing actions; often words mirror actions or deliberately contradict the action, grabbing the attention of the viewer.

To conclude, yes, actions do speak louder than words but both elements are of equal importance in plot development and a viewer’s understanding of a play.

Interview: BOSH!

Emily Capon
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Interview: BOSH!

Ian Theasby and Henry Firth on veganism, sustainability and ‘Peaky Blinders’.

It’s 5pm on a particularly rainy Cheltenham day. The weather, however, doesn’t threaten the busy warmth of Montpellier Gardens, dotted with white tents and brimming with literary energy. I meet Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, better known as ‘BOSH!’, in The Ivy. I’m greeted with a hug by both and a drink, a special concoction of amaretto and bourbon amongst other things; it’s delicious (and strong) and I feel bad for taking out my laptop to begin the interview. It doesn’t quite fit in with the flower arrangements and martini glasses; it’s a little conspicuous, not traditional.

Luckily, though, my embarrassed laptop exposing conundrum isn’t something that worries Henry and Ian. Themselves conspicuous in the food world as we know it, and definitely not traditional in the way they think about lifestyle and cusine, I feel at ease. ‘BOSH!’ are pair of self-confessed ‘food remixers’ passionate about easy, accessible, delicious vegan dishes. The BOSH! partnership began to sprout at the end of 2014, when Ian decided to try out veganism for health reasons. Originally giving up alcohol, then meat, veganism seemed a logical progression: ‘By the end of February 2015, I was like, veganism is the way, so I’m gonna give it a whirl, and it’s turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done.’ Henry however, who ‘spent a long time mocking Ian’, found his views changed after watching the documentary ‘Cowspiracy’. Its striking statistics about climate change proved the deciding factor in his switch to the plant-based lifestyle. I wondered whether Ian’s reasons for go- ing vegan had changed in the four years since his decision: ‘Initially, the health was fantastic and the animals I really care about, but finding out about how bad animal agriculture is for the environment was a trigger for me… it’s like three pillars, all as important as each other’.

I ask whether they found existing vegan communities after their transition or whether they had to forge their own. ‘There were communities online but they were fairly new’, Ian says, and in the meet- up groups that did exist at the time, ‘the general trend was quite strict, a closed circle with high standards and quite a lot of judgement’. It’s for this reason that BOSH! prides itself on new, innovative ways of being vegan; that kind of attitude’s ‘not their bag’. Henry and Ian laud ‘a new approach to what vegan means’, pushing for acceptance as ‘one of the key tools’ to bring people on the journey to becoming vegan. The ‘BOSH!’ channel, vegan nights in London and ‘Vevolution’, the UK’s ‘leading plant-powered positive change festival’, Henry suggests, are just a small sample of ‘friendly’ vegan community spaces becoming more and more prevalent.

Vegan influencers in the calibre of those like Ellen Fisher and other ‘well- ness’ vegans we see in huge number today were few, if around at all, four years ago at the beginning of their journey: ‘there weren’t that many knocking around… more famous people like Woody Harrelson and Natalie Portman.’ It’s hard to believe that such a radical change in approach to this lifestyle in the public psyche has taken less than five years. The growth is exponential, and with guys like ‘BOSH!’ on the vegan scene, there is little evidence of it slowing down any time soon. Ian makes sure to give a shout-out to Kip Andersen, the director of ‘Cowspiracy’ and the creator of a catalyst for many vegans deciding to make their first foray. ‘He wasn’t necessarily a famous vegan, but what he created is special… a really important movie.’

‘BOSH!’’s cooking influences are not, however, restricted to vegans. An enthu- siastic Ian mentions that the two of them have always been inspired by Jamie Oliver:

‘Not because he’s vegan, but because he is a cultural icon and a legend of our times. You can walk into basically anywhere in the UK and say to anyone: ‘have you heard of Jamie Oliver?’ and the answer will be ‘yes’. We think about it like it’s nothing, but it’s incredible what he’s done to normalise home-cooking, and the amount of energy and effort he put into regulating how school dinners are served in the United Kingdom.’

Henry and Ian’s partial brand-modelling on Jamie Oliver is pleasingly evident. They have the same relaxed air of relatability and friendliness; smiley demeanours and obvious passion go a long way in creating the sense that veganism doesn’t have to banish you to the other end of the table pushing around a dry salad with your fork. Vegans like Henry and Ian are just ‘normal guys’, as suited to a pint at the pub with mates as to a vegan cocktail at the Ivy. They are passionate about normalising vegan cooking, and want it to be accessible for the day-to-day home-cook with a 9-5 job.

‘Nowadays everybody is time poor, we live in a really metropolitan society. We’ve got this crazy world of work, and technology that means you’re never less than 30 seconds away from a notification. We commute further, we have to go to the gym now… people have less and less time. A large proportion of people don’t know what they’re having for dinner tonight. So, both food and recipes now need to be quick and easy, and they need to be able to be made with a handful of ingredients… no weird quirky ingredients, no purple sprouting broccoli or blue spirulina. Generally, keep it simple, no nonsense, and not too technical either’.

Henry and Ian are obvious advocates for giving plant-based home cooking a go, whatever your level of talent and experience. I mention to them that my family and I make the mushroom wellington from one of their cookbooks for Christmas, and their reaction is gratifyingly enthusiastic. It’s a recipe that seems technical, but isn’t really. So many of BOSH!’s recipes can look daunting at first glance, but further investigation demonstrates how easy the ingredients are to find and how drama-free following the recipe is. I don’t doubt that a Christmas turkey can be an area of family contention, but the wellington proved a blissfully serene experience in my household, and went down extremely well(ington.)

Ian’s favourite ‘BOSH!’ recipe continues the mushroom-talk. Their ultimate chilli uses mushroom instead of mince: ‘you can have it as a chilli with rice, you can have it on nachos, and it’s absolutely delicious, really hearty flavours.’ Fish tacos made with tofu at Shoreditch’s Club Mexicana get a special mention. Club Mexicana’s website tag-line has a distinctly ‘BOSH!’ feel: ‘if you’re looking for chick peas and chia seeds, you’re in the wrong place.’

Henry has a slightly different answer: ‘I’m bored of hearing myself say lasagne.’ His choice of aquafaba meringue (meringues made from chickpea-can water) is particularly interesting. ‘It’s so bonkers, it looks like a magic trick. You see this brown and murky liquid that looks kind of disgusting, something you’d normally pour away, froth up into a beautiful white foam.’ Henry’s decision to veer away from the classic ‘BOSH!’ brand, choosing an ingredient unheard of by most, threatens to contradict their own philosophy of avoiding exotic, elusive ingredients. However, Henry stresses how easy this recipe is, and the satisfaction of the result. The aquafaba meringues are a paradigm of these recipes that appear complicated but really take minutes.

I ask them how they approach people more resistant to veganism. The night before the interview, I had watched Henry and Ian being interviewed by Piers Morgan on ‘Good Morning Britain’. Morgan ‘debates’ in inflammatory soundbites, often entering the territory of insolence, seemingly for the sake of it. The knee-jerk reaction against veganism by some, whose perception of the lifestyle is restricted to a limited sample size, is something that Henry and Ian are no strangers to.

‘Kill them with kindness is a good motto, but also having a thick skin, and knowing that no one can upset you without your permission… I think just getting used to where people might be coming from. Being kind and respectful of their difference of opinion while being confident in your view without necessarily ramming it down their throat; there’s no such thing as one reality in anything, everything’s shades of grey.’

Yes, Henry says, the people that argue the unsustainability of avocado farming for farmers in South America have a point. Henry and Ian are strong advocates for local, seasonal food, and are keen to bridge the gaps in these ideological divides with calm, informed conversation: you need to ‘be kind and stay calm.’

As resident vegan oracles, I ask Henry and Ian what they predict about the future of the vegan community. ‘In the last four years, it’s gone from no one thinking about it to so many people thinking about it’, Ian says, ‘and not just thinking about it, doing something about it.’ He’s right, that Google Trends shows the popularity of veganism going up and up with no signs of abating. He adds: ‘If that trend continues, I can see veganism becoming a societal norm.’ As Ian suggests, veganism is the norm for a lot of people already. ‘Think about smoking’, Henry adds. In the not too distant past, smoking was a cultural norm, whereas now, its popularity is minimal in comparison. We’re thinking ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’; it’s interesting to consider something that used to be so commonplace has become a rarity. This, Henry and Ian predict, is the future of meat-eating. ‘We go from nearly everyone smoking to hardly anyone smoking… maybe it’ll look more like that.’ People will definitely still eat eggs, Henry says, and probably meat, but ‘we will see it become normal to eat vegan food a lot of the time.’ This, Ian adds, is facilitated in part by pioneering efforts of companies such as ‘Beyond Meat’, and supermarkets making a concerted effort to produce more and more varied, imaginative plant-based food.

‘BOSH!’ are already making huge leaps on the vegan scene, and their own upward trajectory doesn’t seem to be abating, either. Among a number of other exciting projects, we can look forward to ‘BOSH!’’s food not only on screen and in their hugely successful cookbooks, but also on the shelves: ‘We’re working on getting food on shelves, for everybody. It’ll be affordably priced, delicious, sustainably packaged, all the good stuff.’

Putting a face to the disembodied hands of ‘BOSH!’’s tutorial videos was a delight; Henry and Ian are a shining example of fighting their cause with compassion and love. Their enthusiasm is palpable and inspiring.

Wilberforce Academy returns to Oxford

Ben van der Merwe
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Wilberforce Academy returns to Oxford

A controversial evangelical group with links to the far-right was quietly hosted at Wolfson College this September without the knowledge of the student body, Cherwell can reveal.

The Wilberforce Academy is a week-long residential course which aims to “equip the next generation of Christian leaders in public life.” The course is run by Christian Concern, a right-wing evangelical group whose leader has called for the criminalisation of homosexuality and for members to “stand up to the militant homosexual lobby.”

The group’s ‘Islamic affairs adviser’ Sam Solomon co-wrote ex-UKIP leader Gerard Batten’s notorious ‘Charter of Muslim Understanding’, a proposed loyalty oath for British Muslims.

Another senior member of the group, Paul Diamond, told a Kentucky mega-church that Christians in the US and the UK should stand “shoulder to shoulder” to battle dual enemies of Islam and anti-Christian sentiment, warning: “What’s happening in Europe could be coming to your state.”

Andrea Williams, Paul Diamond and Sam Solomon have all participated in rallies by the Tennessee Freedom Coalition (TFC), an American far-right group which has praised Tommy Robinson as a “brave man” defending his “right to bring truth to light regarding the spread of radical Islam both in the United Kingdom and around the world.”

At one TFC event, Solomon spoke alongside far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who has been banned from the UK for posing, as Home Secretary Theresa May described it, “a genuine, present and significantly serious threat to […] community harmony and therefore public safety.”

At another event, Solomon and Diamond spoke alongside far-right anti-Islam activists Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, both also banned from entering the UK.

Also speaking were Frank Gaffney and John Guandolo, who took to the alt-right Breitbart podcast after the Finsbury Park Mosque attack to blame the attack on Muslim immigration.

In 2013, Williams travelled to Jamaica to campaign against the legalisation of gay sex. According to Buzzfeed, in her speech Williams said: “It is not compassionate and kind to have laws that lead people [to engage] in their sins [that] lead to the obliteration of life, the obliteration of culture, and the obliteration of family.”

Bishop of Chichester, Martin Warner responded to Williams’ comments: “The comments by Andrea Minichiello Williams about the decriminalisation of same sex intercourse in Jamaica have no sanction in the Church of England or the diocese of Chichester. Insofar as such comments incite homophobia, they should be rejected as offensive and unacceptable.”

One Christian Concern publication argues that same-sex couples should not be allowed to raise children due to their “high levels of promiscuity.” Another warns that “Islamic finance” is a conspiracy to promote the “Islamisation” of Britain and the implementation of Sharia Law.

This year’s conference took place from the 9th to the 14th of September, near the end of the long vac.

The college Chair of the General Meeting of the Common Room was first informed that Wolfson had hosted the group on the 23rd October. The issue was raised at a General meeting that same day.

Colleges who have hosted the Wilberforce Academy in previous years have faced uproar from their students. Exeter was forced by students to donate all proceeds from the conference to LGBTQ+ charities and issue an apology after hosting the conference in 2012, where members of the group distributed anti-abortion leaflets in communal areas.

At the time, Exeter students also alleged that members of Christian Concern had made homophobic remarks about one gay student, comparing his sexuality to that of a paedophile and labelling him “immoral”. Students described Trinity’s decision to host the group the following year as a “slap in the face to LGBTQ members of the college.”

Trinity later issued an apology and, like Exeter, pledged to donate all proceeds to LGBTQ+ charities.

Last Michaelmas, Cherwell revealed that Jesus had hosted the Wilberforce Academy over the long vac and had deliberately kept its students in the dark, which students described as causing “immeasurable hurt”. As before, students demanded an apology and that proceeds be donated to LGBTQ+ charities.

Shortly after the events at Jesus, students at Lady Margaret Hall voted against allowing the group to use their college for the group’s 2019 event, on the grounds that it would threaten their “physical and mental safety”.

SU VP Welfare Róison McCallion called on colleges and University to be more responsible when taking bookings, telling Cherwell: “The University of Oxford should be a safe and welcoming space for all people.”

A spokesperson for Wolfson College told Cherwell: “The College is committed to ensure that nothing gives rise to an environment in which people will experience, or could reasonably fear, discrimination, harassment, intimidation.”

OULC pulls out of Three Party Debate

Simon Hunt
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OULC pulls out of Three Party Debate

The Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) has withdrawn from a Three Party Debate organised by the Oxford Forum following a row over which motions were to be discussed at the debate.

Yesterday, the Oxford University Liberal Democrats (OULD) released a statement accusing the OULC of refusing to debate the motion, ‘This house is ready for Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister.’

“We are surprised and disturbed that the Labour Club do not wish to defend Jeremy Corbyn who they are actively campaigning to be Prime Minister,” the OULD said.

Cherwell understands that OULD refused to debate OULC unless the motion centred on Jeremy Corbyn.

OULC said in a statement: “As is customary during the motion negotiations around the Three Party Debates, OULC proposed our own motion which was ‘This House Is Ready For A Labour Government’.

“We proposed this motion as we wished to focus on policies, not personalities.”

The OULD alleged that the OULC had initially agreed to debate the motion, before reversing this decision – an allegation denied by OULC.

“The extensive list of possible explanations for our decision is entirely false and malicious; none of these allegations played a part in our decision.”

In response to the OULC statement, the OULD commented, “Now OULC have revealed an apparent preference for policy debates, we would be delighted to debate the motion ‘This House believes Liberal Democrat policies are more progressive than Labour’s’.”

An OULC source told Cherwell that that motion had not been put to them.

President of the Oxford Forum Julia Hussain commented: “The Oxford Forum is disappointed that a debate which is the only chance for Oxford students to hear the three main parties debate, has ended up at such odds and with one of the parties dropping out entirely.

“We are still looking forward to a spirited event, with the potential for a different group representing the left in Oxford.”

The Three Party Debate is scheduled to take place on the 12th of November.

OULC votes to abolish private schools

Luke Dunne
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OULC votes to abolish private schools

At their General Meeting this evening, Oxford University Labour Club voted in favour of a motion to support the Abolish Eton campaign, also known as the Labour Campaign Against Private Schools.

The motion resolved to “support Abolish Eton’s fundamental aim of ending the private education sector and bringing private schools under public administration.”

This comes a month after the group successfully persuaded delegates at the Labour Party conference to vote in favour of adopting the abolition of private schools as official party policy. Shadow cabinet ministers later hinted that the policy would not be included in the party’s 2019 election manifesto, which has yet to be released.

Recognising this, the club resolved to mandate the co-chairs to petition Angela Rayner MP, the Shadow Education Secretary, to support the policy’s inclusion in Labour’s official election platform. A friendly amendment was also added to call on club members to individually submit the proposal to the Labour party’s manifesto crowdsourcing website.

The motion, proposed by co-chairs Meg Howells and Jay Staker, states that “we, as an Oxbridge Labour Club have a special responsibility to speak out against institutionalised privilege in education.”

Responding a concern from the floor that the motion could impact the club’s inclusiveness, Howells said: “It’s nothing personal. We’re not going after individuals. Our issue is with the system and the positions of privilege it creates, not the people who were put in those positions through no fault of their own.”

Asked whether the club would be supporting the Abolish Eton campaign’s call for a 7% cap on private school students at top universities, Staker said the motion deliberately avoided specifics and instead expressed support for the campaign’s fundamental aims.

Some have suggested that the Labour Party are unlikely to wholeheartedly adopt the policy in their manifesto, despite the support of conference delegates. The New Statesman‘s Patrick Maguire reported during Labour conference: “The policy prescription drafted by campaigners is, it is unlikely to be adopted in full. This is partly because of its radicalism. The suggestion that a Labour government would expropriate the assets of private schools alarms some of those who will ultimately be responsible for translating last night’s vote into a workable programme of policy.”

However, Holly Rigby, coordinator of the Abolish Eton campaign, recently told the Guardian: “There is no justification for the fact that young people’s opportunity to flourish and fulfil their potential is still determined by the size of their parents’ bank balance.”

Speaking from the floor, one member quoted OULC’s founding chair on the reason for establishing the club: “That those who have more to lose than their chains may stand in solidarity with those who do not.”

South Africa victorious in the year the World Cup reached new heights

Alice Bruce
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South Africa victorious in the year the World Cup reached new heights

South Africa’s victory in the 2019 world cup has ended a magnificent tournament, marking a new, exciting chapter for world rugby. South Africa’s third world cup win, their last against England in 2007, was a true triumph for the Springboks who brought renewed energy and power to their play after a narrow victory against Wales in the Semi-final. This win is particularly important to the trajectory of South African Rugby with Siya Kolisi leading the side as their first black captain. A month prior to the start of the world cup Springbok legend Chester Williams, the only person of colour in the famous 1995 winning side, passed away. This final and the tournament as a whole can be seen as reflecting the progress made in world rugby since that match, both in terms of the diversity in the South African team and the tournament as a whole. Whilst the globally connected rugby family of supporters will remember and cherish the lives of many rugby greats, including Williams, Lomu, van der Westhuizen and Small who have all passed away since the last world cup, the future of the game has been showed to be in safe hands, and moving in an exciting direction.

For England, the final was a sour ending to their near perfect tournament, after last week displaying one of their best ever performances to beat New Zealand. Coming into the final the young side seemed primed and ready, with an unchanged starting fifteen appearing to be perfectly reaching their apex after four years of hard work and transformation. Star performer Ben Curry was supported by twin Tom who was allowed by his club Sale Sharks to fly out at the last minute, but it was another Shark’s star playing in green, Faf de Klerk, who stole the show on Saturday. With Farrell missing an important penalty and mistakes creeping into England’s play, the occasion of the game seemed to rattle the players, particularly after Kyle Sinckler was knocked out in the opening minutes of the match. Despite this loss England managed to reach their first final in 12 years and many of the players visibly upped their game in this tournament, with the likes of Itoje and Underhill showing themselves to be up there with the best in the world.

One of the most important reflections on this world cup has to be that the decision ten years ago to hold the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the first in Asia, has been completely vindicated and an unqualified success. Japan has been the perfect host for this world cup, we’ve seen respect, compassion and international friendship reinjected into the game, thanks in large part to the incredible atmosphere brought by the host nation’s fans. Bowing at the end of games in recognition of the crowd’s support has been just one example of the best of rugby which has been brought out this autumn. Whilst everyone wants to win it is a great inevitable, invaluable life experience to learn to lose or fail with dignity and good grace – which the teams in this competition have clearly expressed. Rugby has captured a new national fan base, with half of the Japanese population watching their team’s games as they skilfully made their way to the quarter finals for the first time. With a tragic typhoon hitting during the end of the qualifying round matches, the Japanese have handled with great skill and expertise an almost unmanageable set of tragic circumstances. Despite this they have ensured the safety of the players, the international supporters and also safeguarded and maintained the integrity of the competition. It may be years before the full impact of this tournament is fully known and appreciated but hopefully we can look forward to many years of top class, global rugby to come. Ex-Welsh rugby International Gareth Thomas believes that the increasingly multicultural tournament has proved an invaluable vehicle for improving and enriching diversity in general. The warmth of the welcome, the generosity of the Japanese people, the indomitable spirit will live long in the collective memory.

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