Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
Image Description: Angel of Grief statue at Holy Sepulchre Cemetry, Rochester, New York With its 8-week terms, abundant workload, and ceaseless movement, Oxford isn’t exactly renowned for being forgiving – the smallest of obstacles can easily set us back, and tarnish the chances of even trying to meet our deadlines. So it’s no surprise that, […]
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The United Kingdom is breaking. That, I trust, is not controversial. Visit one of our underfunded, understaffed hospitals, which are managing the worst A&E waiting times on record, and tell me that our NHS is working. Talk to one of the more-than-a-million households who don’t receive their full Universal Credit entitlement, or the 4.1 million […]
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The United Kingdom is currently experiencing a crisis of faith in democracy. Polling reveals deep-seated dissatisfaction with the leaders currently heading the main political parties and this year insurgent populism in the form of the Brexit Party briefly stormed to a lead in the polls. Three and a half years ago the United Kingdom voted […]
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This general election is about three issues which will define our generation. We are faced with a global climate crisis that requires urgent action and leadership. We are on the brink of a Brexit which will damage the poorest and threatens the very existence of the United Kingdom. We find British politics in regression as […]
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Student finance England has a strict policy on estranged students, which prevents students from making an application based on their own independent income. If you are an estranged student, this typically leaves you worse off, because you cannot be means tested, and so receive a maximum of £3500 in maintenance loan. At this point your […]
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It’s internship season. Many of my friends and I are currently sniffing the internet for the elusive summer placement to hone the edge of a CV that, fingers crossed, will slay the job market for years to come. Whilst I’m looking for something to fill my second summer as a student at Oxford, in a […]
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Look, I’m not one to paint with a broad brush stoke, and I know that not all crew dates are bad. But unfortunately we live in a world where the worst case scenarios are the ones that stick. Crewdates stories are the stuff of the Telegraph and The Daily Mail’s dreams, as they seek to […]
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On 12 December over 46 million British citizens will be eligible to have their say on the last turbulent three and a half years of bruising, insufferable dither and delay at Westminster. I’m mainly talking Brexit terms here, but the domestic agenda, especially the zeitgeist climate issue, will play heavily on the minds of the […]
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Image Description – Young person at rally holding a sign Whilst an amendment to lower the voting age to 16 was rejected in Parliament, it has revived the long-standing debate amongst media over the desirability of lowering the voting age. Three questions need to be answered before: 1) whether it is worthwhile to make such […]
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As we move into the next General Election, more and more female Members of Parliament (MP) have announced their resignation. Despite claims made by conservative commentator Tom Harwood that only 19 out of 59 MPs are standing down, proportionate to 32% female representation in the UK Parliament; the Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Wollaston has argued […]
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Recently, a spate of cases from the Home Office have cropped up involving academics being threatened with deportation or having their or their children’s visas rejected. This has doubtless caused significant emotional and psychological turbulence for these academics, but we might go deeper and ask: Why now, are there so many patently unfair decisions being […]
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Image Description – Glasses of Wine I’m not exactly a crewdate connoisseur. I’ve only been to about three in my entire university career, and aren’t sporty enough to go to one of the top geezer affairs Oxford legend states the rugby or football crewdates are. But I do believe crewdates, much like organised religion, student […]
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When we think of financial markets, the image that often comes to mind is that of sharp suited men closing deals for obscure financial instruments over the phone. Perhaps the cacophony of voices clammering out on a stock exchange floor is a more stereotypical portrayal. Whatever the idea, these transactions all seem to be far […]
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When reading the latest political headlines, do you find yourself asking: when did it all become a game? All the hectoring and sniping about niche problems, petty rivalries and personal attacks seem more designed to put down one’s opposition than about actual issues that people care about. And not just as a paean to “voter’s […]
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Amber Syed – COLLEGES ARE COLLEGES, NOT MUSEUMS Oxford is a city steeped in history – and not just its own, but that of this country and, by extension, the British Empire. These streets were a playground for the great state-makers and war-wagers of past and present, the backdrop to the intellects and ambitions that […]
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Reuben Cooper – DON’T BAN BORIS FROM BALLIOL IF YOU BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH Whatever your opinion of the man, to bar Boris Johnson from Balliol would be censorship in all but name. It would feed into the unfortunate stereotype of ‘wokeness’ or ‘snowflake-ism’, often touted by the political right to decry the increasing levels […]
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Indyref2 is in the headlines again. This time, there seems to be a credible route to a second Scottish Independence referendum happening; Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the SNP, has pledged to start a new referendum campaign at the Scottish National Party conference. Now seems like a better time than any to introduce a debate […]
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Extinction Rebellion, an environmental movement formed less than a year ago, has seemingly swept through every city in the Western world. Taking on a grassroots approach, the group has found significant success in large-scale protests organised by local activists. The seriousness of the issue and the validity of their concern is, I think, plain to […]
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It is undeniable that the current criminal justice system is plagued with a multiplicity of problems necessitating comprehensive reforms. The Conservatives’ plan, summarised by Patel’s dicta of “we are coming after you”, merely scratches the surface of a deeply complicated issue. Central to the crumbling criminal justice system is the severe lack of funding at […]
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