@TheOxStu
The
Trinity Term, Week 3 | Friday 15th May 2026
OXFORD STUDENT The University of Oxford’s Student Newspaper, est. 1991
Are college funds reaching students in hardship? Read more on page 8
A blank Canvas: reflections on the outage
An explanation of tennis’ bizarre scoring system Read more on page 24
Read more on page 13
Greens’ housing plans and other insights with Cllr. Alfie Davis Guilherme Lopes and Lila Robinson
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he Oxford Student sat down for an exclusive interview with Alfie Davis, the newly elected Green Councillor for Holywell ward. Davis won their election with 808 votes, a stomping majority when compared to the runner-up’s (Labour) 186 votes. Davis told The Oxford Student that the top priority is “making renting less awful [...] we want to move towards a situation as the Green Party where renting is not required of someone,” although Davis recognises that this is a long-term goal. As part of this objective, the Oxford Greens promise to work to-
Laurence Fox at Oriel College. Credit: Wiki Alf
wards implementing rent caps and building affordable housing stock. Holywell contains 16 colleges and is home to the majority of the Oxford student population. In relation to housing and rent, Davis sees it as a problem that affects all of Oxford, but students in particular “have no leverage in rent negotiations – [JCR/MCR] negotiations are effectively a box-ticking exercise.” Davis plans to draw on their own experience in campaigning on this issue to create a rent-strike network in order to build “people power.” Continued on page 3
Exclusive: Oxford Union invited Laurence Fox to The left must ensure debate alongside Tommy it’s on the right side of history in the struggle Robinson for trans liberation
Ellie Apostolidi, Guilherme Lopes, and Lila Robinson
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wo sources at the Oxford Union have independently confirmed to The Oxford Student that Laurence Fox, a British actor, rightwing activist, and leader of the ‘Reclaim Party’, has been invited to debate alongside Tommy Robinson in the week five debate: “This House believes the West is right to be suspicious of Islam.” His name has also been greenlit in a ‘debate planning’ spreadsheet seen by The Oxford Student, which shows him approved to be invited to speak in favour of the motion.
In April 2024, Fox appeared on Robinson’s podcast “SILENCED” to discuss his shift to “anti-woke” activism. The Reclaim Party was set up by Fox in 2020, in order to combat “woke orthodoxy” and promote “freedom of speech.” It has been heavily associated with the so-called ‘culture wars.’ In the 2024 General Election, the party promised to donate £5,000 to any candidate who agreed to reform the Equality Act to eliminate the prohibition of sex and race-based discrimination, among other pledges. Fox ran
for Mayor of London in 2021, placing sixth with 47,634 votes (1.9%). After failing to fill out the proper paperwork to run again in 2024, Fox unsuccessfully ran for the London Assembly. The invitation to Fox comes amidst turmoil at the Union. Following The Oxford Student’s exclusive reporting on the decision to invite Tommy Robinson, the society has faced condemnation from external and internal groups. Continued on page 3
Lydia Armstrong
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ince the 2024 election, times have been hard for the British left. The Labour government is attempting to court socially conservative voters, adopting hostile policies towards immigration and trans healthcare while arming Israel’s genocide in Gaza. While the Green Party has risen from a single-issue group at the fringes of politics to a genuine challenger for office, this development has itself faced criticism. With right-wing parties ahead in the polls, some com-
mentators argue that our concern for the rights of minorities is a luxury the left can ill afford. So, at this desperate moment, why should we bother? For one thing, it makes practical sense. As the current government so kindly demonstrates on a regular basis, even a majority will only get you so far. In the 2024 election, Labour achieved the lowest vote share of any governing party in history, losing out to the Greens, the Liberal Democrats and Reform. Continued on page 4