Thursday 10th July 2025
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‘Tough times’ in doom pop

Joshua Mascord
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‘Tough times’ in doom pop

Lonely The Brave’s style comes from a deeply personal place. Listening to the current singles, anyone can tell that they’re filled with ‘tough times’. Ross is quick to say that despite their gloomy style the album contains ‘uplifting songs – we mix it up’.

In response to my remark that two years is fast to create an album Ross laughs, “we’ve had a head start! The last one was probably done two years before [it came out].”

He reveals they actually wrote “25 tracks, I think some of those might make it out… a lot of [our] songs are a reflection of the time, when we discussed some of the songs that we wrote and putting them on a third album, we decided against it.”

“We want to keep making music,” Ross continues, but as they’re “a bit older than other bands,” they have more to think about. I ask about touring, which Ross gives an honest reply to.

“There are ups and downs, getting to play is great, but it gets hard on European tours where you have to drive across countries – but after a long drive when you arrive somewhere like Switzerland and there’s like thousands of people singing your music, It’s like ‘how did this happen?’ It’s brilliant.”

Ross joined two years ago, “about four days before a tour… It was daunting, but now they’re like my brothers.”

I end at the beginning of my interviewee’s time in the band so I wrap it up, wish him luck and run off to see if any of the rock-star magic has rubbed off on me.

Lonely the Brave will be playing Oxfordshire’s Truck Festival, July 15-17.

Oxford Students Refugee Campaign funds 8 full scholarships

Marianna Spring
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Oxford Students Refugee Campaign funds 8 full scholarships

A campaign to fund scholarships for refugees launched by an Oxford student has managed to raise nearly a quarter of a million pounds in pledges.

Postgraduate student Thais Roque launched The Oxford Students Refugee Campaign in October to help people whose studies have been disrupted by war or persecution.

She originally wanted to encourage fellow students to pledge £1 each month for two years, which could provide up to 20 fully funded scholarships if every Oxford student chose to participate.

So far 11,000 people have signed up, with pledges and donations exceeding £240,000 over the two-year period.

Roque, who is currently completing a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering, says her own education in Brazil, Germany and now at Oxford has been possible as a result of scholarships “awarded on the dual basis of academic merit and ethical standing” and she therefore feels strongly about giving back to “its diverse, wide-reaching community.”

Roque commented, “When one of Citizens UK coordinators told me about their plan to lobby UK universities to set up fully funded scholarships for Syrian refugees I knew what my role was in that: I would fight to turn Oxford into safe havens for students fleeing conflict-torn societies.”

“As a student myself, I believe that such a scheme will create a tremendous positive impact on these students’ lives. And with the added benefit of raising the morale of the Oxford student community at large: The Oxford Refugee Campaign stands as a flagship example of how much the student body can achieve when they are concerned about and committed to improving fellow students’ lives.”

“The University authorities have been very receptive to the ideas so far, and are willing to back the campaign administratively. They are not only administering our fund but also have brought our initiative into the Oxford Thinking Campaign as well as into the existing Give as You Earn schemes for faculty and staff.”

Now that money has been pledged to the scholarships, the campaign and Oxford University have identified 8 eligible students holding offers for the coming academic year.

As the campaign is yet to receive the bulk of funding as a result of monthly contributions, it is reaching out to alumni, friends and the general public to raise enough funds to support all 8 candidates.

The first scholarships will officially be available in 2017/18. Asides from the scholarships, “The Journal of interrupted studies”, which is dedicated to publishing academic work jeopardized by forced migration, has been published by two Oxford students.

Editors Paul Ostwald and Mark Barclay created the journal with the aim to “raise awareness of some wider issues regarding contemporary discourse around the refugee crisis” through “academic engagement”.

The first edition came out at the end of eighth week with a circulation of 1500 copies, which will be distributed in Oxford, the UK and Germany.

Mark Barclay told Cherwell, “We feel that the more refuges are condescended by reducing them to their capacity to stimulate pity, anger or horror the less the possibility for real exchange and sincere. It is this sort of engagement we feel will be crucial in orientating any approach to the crisis. Being students, the field we felt we could use our resources and connections most effectively, was academia.”

“In putting together the journal, initially our difficulty was finding refugees with academic work. Fortunately we were greatly helped by aid agencies working on the ground in referring us to individuals who might be interested. We were further helped by the first instances of media attention such as in Der Spiegel, which raised an awareness in Germany that led to many more submissions. It also led to us being spotted by the ACT now a foundation who sponsored our first print run.”

“We were extremely humbled by the warmth and positivity of its reception. Most heartening of all, we received dozens of offers from academics across Europe and the US who want to review future submissions on a pro bono basis. We are extremely happy and grateful with this result as it is stirring genuine and sincere engagement with what refugees have to say, on terms of mutual respect.

The journal, which has already secured funding for another print run, is looking to expand in Michaelmas 2016 with a larger editorial team to seek and process submissions.

Oxford University has been contacted for comment.

A discussion with Buzz Aldrin

Ben Ray
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A discussion with Buzz Aldrin

The phrase ‘out of this world’ is used too often – though I think Blackwell’s recent interview with Buzz Aldrin on June 1, held in the Sheldonian in front of a packed and eager audience, fits this description in more ways than one. After being ushered politely in to a seat in the cavernous rafters of the building, the excitement and expectation was almost palpable – a feeling that only seemed to build throughout the fascinating discussion, culminating in a rapturous standing ovation at the interview’s conclusion.

The talk spanned Buzz’s complete life of over 86 years, starting “in the womb” (his own words) – and I have to say I’ve never seen such a chatty, excitable and effervescent person. Buzz managed to hold the audience spellbound throughout the hour long talk, with stories of his various adventures on Earth and beyond. Indeed, he often interrupted and completely ignored his assistant, who ended up at times desperately trying to stop Buzz recounting anecdotes about his early life, his air-force training and his life as an astronaut in order to answer the question that had been asked. If anything, this just made the discussion even more fun for the audience- it seemed nothing could hold Buzz back. The highlight of this was, of course, when he stood up to show off his ‘Get to Mars’ t-shirt and socks to the eager crowd.

With Buzz, subjects like aeronaut training and childhood events that could be potentially dry and dull seemed to come alive in the electric atmosphere of the Sheldonian. He talked of his mother’s maiden name being ‘Moon’, of his job as an astronaut taking photos of stars (“real sexy stuff”) and of how he had completed the first underwater training for astronauts (“it’s basically the same as space, really”). The discussion jumped back and forth between his family, childhood and his later adventures, which meant that immediately after discovering how the Aldrin family had aviation in their blood, and that Buzz had met Amelia Earhart as a young boy, the audience were then told how Buzz “accidentally took the first selfie in space”. This gave you the sense of a warm, intimate discussion with the man – when he cracked jokes, you couldn’t help but laugh.

When the inevitable topic of the moon landing came round, Buzz seemed to light up- he leaned forward in his seat as he explained how most of the photos of astronauts on that day, including the famous image of one planting the American flag, were actually of him ”as Neil was the one holding the camera”. He welcomed questions, telling a ten year old that the moon “smelt of burnt charcoal” and reassuring the audience that “I’m not much of a sceptic – we really did go!” Perhaps the most surprising revelation as that Buzz only got given $33 for going to the moon, “We only got standard army pay in those days”. The event culminated in a huge selfie of Buzz and the Sheldonian audience, an act of inclusivity that seemed to sum up the night.

When asked by one audience member if he’d seen any aliens, Buzz paused and smiled. “I always think that I was the first alien. After all, we’d come from a different planet.” Although funny, this also seemed a great way for the evening to finish – if there’s one thing we could all learn from a man who’s been into space, perhaps it’s that we could all use a bigger perspective.

Oxford scientists discover “life-saving” helium gas field

Tony Diver
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Oxford scientists discover “life-saving” helium gas field

A joint research project from the universities of Oxford and Durham has used a new exploration approach to uncover the first ever intentional discovery of helium gas.

The helium field, which was described by Professor Chris Ballentine from Oxford’s Department of Earth Sciences as a “game changer”, will help to buoy the dwindling helium reserves available for welding, industrial leak detection, nuclear energy and the construction of MRI scanners.

The student research group, which partnered with the Norwegian company Helium One in the search for the gas, created an exploration process which involves analysis of volcanic areas to find a “goldilocks zone” of helium repositories.

The resulting discovery was made in the Tanzanian East African Rift Valley, and contained enough helium to fill 1.2 million MRI scanners.

Professor Jon Gluyas, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, said: “This is an outstanding example of industry and academia working together closely to deliver real value to society. The impact of this and expected future helium discoveries will secure supply for the medical scanning and other industries.”

Dr Pete Barry, who sampled the gases, and is also from Oxford’s Department of Earth Sciences added: “We can apply this same strategy to other parts of the world with a similar geological history to find new helium resources.  Excitingly, we have linked the importance of volcanic activity for helium release with the presence of potential trapping structures and this study represents another step towards creating a viable model for helium exploration. This is badly needed given the current demand for helium.”

The research is being presented by Durham University PhD student Diveena Danabalan at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Yokohama, Japan.

Protests in Oxford against EU referendum result

Katherine Pye
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Protests in Oxford against EU referendum result

Following the result of the EU referendum on Friday morning, events have been planned in Oxford to voice opinions on the outcome and its effect on Britain in the future.

Oxfordshire voters deviated from the national trend and chose to remain in the EU; with a 72.3% turn out, 70.3% of people voted for the Remain campaign.

Leaders of both the Remain campaign, including David Cameron, George Osborne and Theresa May, and the Leave campaign, such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, are all alumni of the University of Oxford.

On Sunday Afternoon there was a gathering of around 100 people at Radcliffe Square outside All Souls College. The organisers and participants made speeches on the future of the Remain campaign in the wake of the referendum result.

Mark Barclay, who publicly expressed dissatisfaction at the result at the event on Sunday told Cherwell, “After hearing certain discourses, I felt one issue that needed addressing was how the Bremain side would approach the 52% in disagreement with it.”

“I wanted to highlight that it is the way in which this energy will be used that will determine whether or not post-referendum Britain can secure a constructive outcome. This is about how Bremainers will direct their sense of urgency when they engage with their opposition. This for me means, that a concession has to be made to the leave side; acknowledging their motivations rather than deriding their decisions.”

“Protests such as that on Sunday I hope may pave the way to securing a useful and constructive reengagement. A good third of those present were under eighteen and the sense of disenfranchisement they confidently and clearly asserted, marked the fact that the reaction brewing on both sides will not be trivial. Dialogue and good will, in addition to strength of feeling will be key.”

13517787_10204984835620714_1300503073_oThere is a pro-EU protest planned on Tuesday evening to which 1,400 have pledged their attendance on Facebook. The event, previously called Oxford Stays has changed its name to ‘Stand Together: Oxford Event’. The event will fall at the same time as ‘Stand Together’ events in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Exeter and Cambridge. According to the Facebook event descriptions “We feel that continued public engagement following the result is also a part of the democratic approach. We wanted to create a public space to begin that dialogue.”

Tessa Clayton, the manager of the Oxford protest on Tuesday told Cherwell, “#stay events are about gathering in a positive way to discuss the post referendum landscape. They are not affiliated with any political party. The aim is to channel the high levels of energy people are feeling about the referendum in a productive way. We need to find hope and start to look at how our voices can shape our future relationships within Europe.

“The #westay events are taking place in the cities that overwhelmingly voted for Remain in order to signal that we still see our future very much intertwined with Europe. Oxford voted 70% for Remain and there has been huge support for the event since it launched yesterday afternoon.”

Can 17,410,742 people be wrong?

Toby Williams
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Can 17,410,742 people be wrong?

Can 17,410,742 people really be wrong? The decision by a slim majority of the British public to leave the European Union has been met with widespread disbelief and disgust. It is hard to see, in the short-term at least, the vote having anything other than negative consequences. Rarely is there a day with an absolute right and an absolute wrong, but some may be minded to claim that Brexit is the latter; plainly, simply and unequivocally. If this is true then should the issue, with the potential to have such negative ramifications, really have been left in the hands of the people?

Cry Havoc! How dare I suggest such a thing! Surely it’s petulant to argue against democracy just because it hasn’t gone your way – that’s its very nature. But this isn’t what I’m saying. If the British people had been in possession of all the facts and had known the full consequences of voting to leave the European Union then I would indeed have accepted their decision regardless. But it has become ever-more clear over the past few days that many did not. Some have even said they wish they’d voted to remain knowing what they do now. After Brexit there came the Regrexit.

So what exactly have these former Brexiteers learned to make them change their minds? Few now deny the great uncertainty, particularly in the long-term, at home and abroad which the vote has caused. It is for this very reason that global markets are tumbling and sterling has fallen to record lows. This is hardly helped by the seemingly inevitable prospect of a second Scottish referendum and the increased likelihood that Scotland will also move to ‘reclaim its sovereignty’ after having convincingly voted to remain. Another inevitability – following the resignation of David Cameron – is the almost comical situation of Michael Gove or Boris Johnson being the favorites to become the next Prime Minister: a choice between a moral or an intellectual vacuum. We do then know some of the immediate effects of Thursday’s vote. None of them does much to reassure me that the future will be brighter.

But there must have been some reason why people supported Brexit. I don’t think anybody is claiming the British public is a group of nihilists. Rather, nearly everyone who participated in the referendum, Leave or Remain, would admit that Britain faces many problems: Social and economic inequality, NHS funding and immigration are all issues which few deny need addressing. The fundamental difference between those who voted for and against Brexit however was that the Leavers believed that the better way of solving our problems would be to do so outside of the European Union.

Yet it hardly seems likely that a right-wing, pro-Brexit administration would be particularly concerned with the inequality, particularly economic, which is currently rife in this country and only getting worse. Neither is it obvious that such a government would spend more on the NHS to lessen its funding crisis. Nigel Farage even admitted, within hours of the result, that he was wrong to promise that the money saved by not being members of the EU would be spent on the health service. What’s more, there is nothing to suggest that a ‘Brexit Government’ will retain any of the key pieces of European legislation such as The European Convention on Human Rights or The Social Chapter upon which millions of ordinary people rely. Even on the issue of immigration, if Brexiteers are really as keen as they say they are to protect trade with Europe, then they will have little choice but to accept the free movement of people – hardly increasing the control we have over our borders. Whilst it is perfectly understandable, in regards to all of these problems, why many would think Brexit was preferable, upon reflection it is clear to see that not being a part of the EU will do nothing but make them worse. If we take their amelioration to be an objective good, which I assume the vast majority would agree with, we can only view Brexit as an absolute bad.

Yet those 17 million people who voted Leave were not wrong in any way similar to Brexit itself. Neither was it due to their opinions being second class or invalid, but rather because they were misguided and under-informed, voting for something other than that which they thought it was. Had this not been the case , it isn’t difficult to imagine that Thursday night’s result would have been very different. Yet given the hubris, hyperbole and downright hate which characterised much of the campaign, on both sides, it does make me wonder whether people ever had a chance of making a balanced and informed decision. This is reason I think our membership of the European Union shouldn’t have been left to a public vote.

It was the French revolutionary Rollin who infamously said ‘there go my people, I must follow them for I am their leader.’ Having adopted a weak style of leadership through his overreliance on referendums, David Cameron has cost himself his job, but his country far more. It is his responsibility to do the best for Britain, not what is easiest politically. Unlike the public at large, he is the one with access to the most expert advice which shouldn’t be dismissed – as certain politicians think – merely because it contradicts popular opinion. By calling for a European referendum, aware that many would be voting without full possession of the facts, the Prime Minister disgracefully abdicated his duties as head of government. We should not therefore blame those who voted Leave for what is about to happen to this country, but David Cameron for being led, not being the leader of his people

We must also remember that Britain is not an Athenian democracy. The people do not vote on everything but they instead elect representatives to do so on their behalf. This is because it is accepted that on certain issues a popular vote would be an uninformed vote. Many people have far more pressing concerns, such a putting food on the table and paying the bills, than ensuring they are sufficiently informed to vote on every piece of legislation that comes up in Parliament.

While some may cry ‘vox populi vox dei’, it certainly wasn’t the voice of any God the people expressed last Thursday. They may not have been deceived, but by no means did they possess the whole truth. Allowing Britain’s membership of the EU to go to a public vote was instead a foolish act of cowardice. Now we will require an act of divine inspiration to make the best of this precarious situation.

Poetry: Tpyomaniac [sic]

Fronk Davey
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Poetry: Tpyomaniac [sic]

TPYOMANIAC [SIC]

Cast off my thoughts and dive into a dream.
Misguided fingers probe the unspilt mind
Exposing naked words on zig-zag lines
and reams of shameful cast-off in-betweens.
The straight-backed typist pauses in mid-stream,
Distracted from dictation, now resigned
To tolerate the secret slips enshrined
Within the minutes of the current scene.
I flick the switch, I turn the dials,
Initiate the manual override
and steer myself towards my own exile.
Unplug the life-support and yet survive
to plummet head-last down for endless miles.
I aym at ‘id’ adn pressntly arrivr.

What now? The post-Brexit situation

Arun Dawson
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What now? The post-Brexit situation

‘Tomorrow morning, Britain will wake up to a verdict, a verdict to remain within the EU.’

Those were my words in the dying hours of Thursday’s referendum. How wrong I was. How wrong the world was.

Such was the confidence of ‘establishment elites’ in a Remain vote, the Pound gained on the Dollar to a 2016 high just as polls closed. However, as the results from the North East came in, the ill-founded beliefs of the financial markets became apparent. The Pound reached the biggest drop on record as a consequence of the upset of Britain saying “No” to Europe; a big two fingers up to the elite. No matter how many experts, world leaders and ‘independent’ bodies said otherwise, the majority of the public issued an instruction to Westminster: It’s time we did politics differently. It’s time we celebrated our Independence Day.

And it is this initial shock to the system we are seeing now, rather than any long term forecast of a post-Brexit world. The markets have already begun to stabilise, supported by safeguards offered under the Bank of England’s contingency plans. £250 billion will now be made available by the central bank to ensure the markets do not take an irrecoverable tumble as many economists have predicted. The certainty of Prime Minister Cameron’s position has also helped somewhat in securing a continuation of the status quo until at least the autumn.

But aside from these immediate ‘hysterical reactions’ as Donald Tusk described, what other issues have emerged? Within hours of the official announcement, David Cameron proclaimed his resignation despite the loyalties of some 80 Brexit rebels. Thus, the hype and preoccupation of a Tory leadership contest is well underway. Among the leading contenders is Boris Johnson, Cameron’s old Etonian and Oxford rival. MP Chris Grayling also skirted around the question about his own intentions and Michael Gove may well make a run for it. There have also been some expressions of support for Theresa May: a Remain campaigner but not as publically committed as the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have been.

Concurrently, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been unambiguous in her intentions to hold a re-run of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. Sturgeon has claimed a referendum is ‘highly likely,’ already beginning the process of drafting the legislation required to reverse the ‘democratically unacceptable’ prospect of Scotland leaving. This presents a significant constitutional crisis and to avoid the potential catastrophe, Vote Leave needs to coronate a pro-Brexit Prime Minister soon, consolidating the mandate they have received overnight and restoring strong, national leadership. Whilst this will not quell the issue entirely, the integrity of the union is at stake.

Ahead of a Brussels meeting next week, Eurocrats and world leaders alike have expressed their ‘regret’ over the ‘sad’ choice Britain has made. German Chancellor Merkel has appealed for people to be ‘calm and composed.’ Triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is the legally recognised way of exiting the single market, but would also set a two year time limit on the negotiations. Cameron has made the right call in deciding to pursue informal discussions first before formally giving notice, preferring instead to delay this decision to his successor. However, the David versus Goliath saga continues, now with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker disagreeing over this postponement of Article 50. It is hardly surprising therefore, that the verdict the British people gave last night was a reflection of this sentiment, that Brussels has its own interests at heart. It is very easy to interpret the stance the EU has taken over this as an attempt to rush proceedings thus leading to a chaotic or unresolved situation in two years’ time.

The European Project is defended by the Brussels elite with such vigour that they are determined beyond all costs to avoid a so called ‘contagion effect.’ They are resolute in their attitude that this divorce must appear painful for Britain, irrelevant of how this may damage the domestic, European or world economy. On the decision, Parliament President Martin Schulz exclaimed ‘that’ll have consequences and I don’t believe other countries will be encouraged to follow that dangerous path.’

Blinkered by their EU bubble, Eurocrats are failing to take the hint. If they do not change their strategy now, the trigger that is Britain’s decision will go down in history as the Franz Ferdinand assassination of the EU project. Deconstruction is inevitable. It’s only a matter of time.

Oxford reacts to Brexit

Tony Diver
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Oxford reacts to Brexit

Yesterday morning, 24th June, the BBC announced that the UK had voted to leave the European Union in a referendum which will shape the political landscape for years to come.

Oxford residents, on the other hand, voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, with 70.3% in favour of remaining. The turnout in the city was 72.3%.

After relentless campaigning for both sides in the city before the vote, the announcement that the UK will invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and begin negotiations to formally withdraw from the Union has ricocheted around the city.

“This can represent a great opportunity for us to work with our friends in Europe and the rest of the world,” said a spokesperson for Oxford Students for Britain, a pro-Brexit campaign group. “We would also like to express the utmost respect for the campaigners on the other side who have been committed to their cause and maintained a high quality of debate on our campus.”

“We remain students, contemporaries, and friends together regardless of the outcome.”

Oxford University itself released a statement today on its website.  “UK membership of the EU has supported our broader vision for Oxford as a global hub for intellectual engagement,” it read, “however, the University recognised that individuals held differing views, and encouraged open debate on the issues.”

“A democratic decision has been made and Oxford will continue as one of the world’s outstanding universities, playing a leading role in shaping the UK’s future.”

A number of colleges have also sent emails to their members, reassuring them that they will continue their commitment to social diversity and calling on them to support one another in this transition period.

Jan Nedvidek, ex-President of OUCA, said  that “whatever our views on Brexit might be, we now have to make sure Britain gets the best deal possible, and that we continue to cooperate closely with our European allies.”

“Understandably, people are upset, but we have to keep going.”

Oxford Students For Europe have been contacted for comment.

The EU Referendum: We must not forget the 48.1 per cent

Freddie Hopkinson
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The EU Referendum: We must not forget the 48.1 per cent

Nigel Farage sees today’s result as a victory for “ordinary and decent” people. Democracy has had its say and, unfortunately, it now seems that we are set on a course to leave the EU. We must respect the peoples’ choice.

My plea is that we don’t forget the voices of the 48.1 per cent of voters that didn’t want this to happen. We need to remember that millions of “ordinary and decent” people chose to stick with what they rightly saw as the hugely positive values of European Union, understanding and collaboration. We need to acknowledge that this was no great landslide of Brexiteer fervour, but an issue that deeply divided the nation. Most importantly, whatever you voted, we all need to come together again and appreciate the pivotal importance of our nation’s role as an outgoing, productive partner to our continental neighbours- not an isolated “little Britain”.

Oxford voted overwhelmingly in favour of staying in the European Union. Everyone in Oxford who campaigned for staying in Europe should be very proud of this, despite the national result. I can understand why frustrated pro-Europeans in Oxford might blame the ignorance of the rest of the country – I have seen Facebook posts of this sort already. Yet, we need to move on. We need to respect the electorate’s choices, but also we need to continue to campaign for the best possible future for Britain. For us students, it may be all too easy to resign in exasperation from the politics of the months ahead, much harder to push for our voices to be heard in the making of what will be our future.

In the months ahead, we Oxford students will be spread out across the country, not to mention the world. The summer break means that for once most of us will not be stuck in the ‘Oxford bubble’. The chances are that most of us will come into daily contact with the majority of voters that chose to leave. Instead of patronising them, or simply mourning the loss of the referendum, we need to listen to them. We need to understand why people made the choices they did yesterday, but also we need to carry on telling them why integration with the outside world still matters. It is still so vital for us to push for a settlement in the next few years that values genuinely popular sentiments of respect for elements of the European project. The referendum has shown that we still have a way to go to make these views acceptable to much of the population, but it doesn’t mean that we should stop now.

One of my best friends at Oxford is what I would have previously described as a firmly Unionist Scot. This morning, his views had changed drastically. When Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to stay in the European Union, how are we supposed to expect them to stay in a national union that is on the verge of leaving it? UKIP’s victory today, could well turn out to be a victory for English nationalism. If we value our now endangered United Kingdom, what happens next will be crucial. As much as we need to campaign to protect the cosmopolitan characteristics of our home nations, our advocacy of an outward looking Britain needs to be seen as part of a wider discussion on the future of our country as a whole.

As I write, the Prime Minister has announced that he will be standing down. The likes of Boris Johnson and Michael Gove will no doubt soon be vying for the leadership. More than anything, we need to continue campaigning for a pro-European outlook to make sure whoever runs our country in the next few years continues to hear our voices. In spite of the referendum result, we need to prove that we are a progressive people by calling for wider toleration, trade, and communication alongside our European neighbours. Instead of giving in to assumptions of xenophobia and uncertainty, we need to build on our collective history of respect for our neighbours. Britain may well be set to leave the European Union, but that doesn’t mean that we should leave its values behind too.

In the political turmoil of the months ahead there will be a need for pro-European students at Oxford to unite in their campaigning. Please like the Oxford Europhile Forum on Facebook to get the campaign underway.

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