The Clarion, 2 December 2025

Today’s Clarion is an eclectic mix of festive joy, budget commentary and Morris dancers. Pretty sure you don’t get this anywhere else.

This week’s top stories

The Hong Kong-based landowners of Jericho Wharf have “finally conceded they have no new scheme” for the site, according to the Jericho Wharf Trust. The Trust is lobbying for Oxford City Council to compulsorily purchase the derelict site on the Oxford Canal. A petition in support of a Compulsory Purchase Order has now reached 2,000 signatures.

JWT says: “The City Council could rapidly recover most of its [CPO] costs by working alongside a responsible developer who can finance and manage the scheme.” They describe the alternative as “lazy gentrification”.

The campaign believes landowners Cheer Team have been trying to sell the site to new investors in Asia at an “unrealistically high” price, only achievable by replacing community facilities in any development with student flats. They have put their case forward in a new video with the succinct message “Build – or sell up and get out.”

(We looked at the history of the site, which has now been standing derelict for around 20 years, in a special report last year.)

City planners have turned down another application by BT to install a ‘Street Hub’ outside the Westgate side entrance. The hubs are digital advertising boards with sales handled by ad giant Global; they also provide free wifi (already available in the Westgate) and a 4G/5G booster. Refusing the planning application, City Council officers called the screen “a visually incongruous and distracting addition” and said there were no “associated public benefits that would outweigh the less than substantial harm caused”. A second hub by the former cinema on George Street was also turned down, with one objector noting acidly that “The applicants appear unaware that the Odeon Cinema no longer exists.”

An everyday planning decision of little import, you might think, but one that gives a clue into the increasing number of electronic adverts on Oxford’s streets. Legislation restricting the advertising of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products comes into force in January. These will no longer be allowed post-9pm on TV, or in paid advertising online, making alternative advertising channels particularly important for some food manufacturers. Digital hubs, critically, are close to the point of purchase, meaning they can prompt an immediate impulse purchase or trip.

BT also offers councils “5% of screen time on each Street Hub to promote and educate, equivalent to 876 hours per unit or 438 hours per screen”, free of charge. (So if you’ve wondered why you keep seeing council adverts on electronic screens around town, this might be why!)

Around the city

• Dozens of charities and community groups came together in the Town Hall for the annual Green Fair organised by the Oxford Green Party. Regular star of the show Bob Cowley, known for the day as Green Father Christmas, added festive green magic. Visitors could talk to campaigners from Greenpeace to Cyclox, enjoy music, and shop for fair-trade and locally made goods. In a celebration of reaching 1,000 members, Cllr Max Morris brought together the first and the 1,000th member of the Oxford City Green Party, Michael Buck and Indigo Blyth. (Photos thread here.)
• A former pub on Hollybush Row, between the railway station and Oxpens, is to be demolished and replaced with (wait for it) lab space. 8 Hollybush Row was the Albion, the Honey Pot, and the Adventurer before becoming offices for AI startup Latent Logic and then the Swailes Hub hot-desking space. Oxford City Council has granted permission to replace the former pub with a four-storey building. Property developer Robin Swailes says: “There is a substantial unmet demand for small and flexible office and related experimental/lab space… the University’s Bio-escalator has run out of space already.” In 2001, a pub reviewer said the Albion had “the traditional crap glued to the wall, but it wasn't too obtrusive; the landlady was friendly; clientele were the standard three old men, plus a girl with an absurd amount of eye make-up and a long zebra print coat”.
• EE subscribers might finally be able to get a signal in the city centre after the mobile operator confirmed plans to put a base station on the top of St Aldate’s Chambers, opposite the Town Hall. The site is described as “a temporary installation whilst a permanent solution is secured”. Reception has been poor since February 2024 when the former antenna on the Clarendon Centre was removed as part of the redevelopment.
• Retailers on Magdalen Road in East Oxford have announced the line-up for this Saturday’s Frost Fest. Events include a Christmas Jumper Parade at 10am, carol singing at noon, and Christmas light switch-on at 3pm, plus Santa visits, a lantern workshop and live nativity. Businesses on the street include restaurants, cafés, delis and a bakery, plus an aquatics shop, piano repairs and bookshop. Resident Craig Simmons said: “We’re telling the world that far from being just for locals, Magdalen Road is worth travelling for and everyone is welcome.”
• A Cowley Road shop has been fined £17,600 for selling illegal tobacco products. A Trading Standards detection dog located “compartments sealed with electromagnets” in which vapes over the legal strength and unlabelled, smuggled shisha were located. Khalifa Super Store has since been sold and rebranded Khalifa Supermarket. For Oxfordshire County Council, Jody Kernan said: “We support honest businesses and do all we can to ensure the wellbeing and safety of residents and visitors in the county.”
• The UK’s largest programme of electric vehicle cable channel charging installations, for homes without off-street parking, is getting underway in Oxford. ODS, Oxford City Council's facilities company, has been awarded a contract by Oxfordshire County Council. The charging tech, ‘Gul-e’, is funded by a government grant. Gul-e runs charging cables from home to vehicle without obstructing footways. Oxford resident Guy Hargreaves, who took part in a trial, said: “I can’t find a single fault in the product. I would recommend it to all EV owners who only have on-street parking without the slightest hesitation.” Cllr Ben Higgins for OCC explained: “A third of Oxfordshire householders don’t have off street parking. This could be a real game changer and give residents the confidence to switch to an EV by being able to access home electricity rates.” We wrote about Gul-e as part of our long read last year on how Oxford has become a superpower in EV tech.

Around the county

• Crowds turned out on Saturday despite the rain for the annual Abingdon Christmas Extravaganza which brought together entertainment, a parade, a market, and the Christmas lights switch-on. The town was further entertained by music, dancing and donkeys. (More details and pictures.)
• Over 200 Cherwell residents, visitors and community groups came together to festively decorate the Banbury Cross roundabout. The groups, part of the Round & Round sustainable community arts project, upcycled flower frames and installed them both on the iconic roundabout and in People's Park. Cllr Rob Pattenden said: “These structures are absolutely fantastic; they add a wonderful Christmassy feel to our historic Banbury Cross landmark. Thank you to everyone that gave their time to produce these structures that have formed a central part of the decorations in the town." Artist Anne-Marie Cadman added: “I was thrilled to be invited once again to lead the Round & Round community arts project. We had hundreds of participants of all ages, and their creative contributions combined into lovely recycled festive outcomes.”
• Plans to improve CCTV in Oxfordshire are at risk, according to Police & Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, as all but one of the district councils have chosen not to co-fund a new partnership. Only West Oxfordshire District Council has decided to join the scheme. In a last-ditch attempt to save the project, the PCC is encouraging council leaders from Oxford City, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils to join the partnership by 19 December. Barber said: “I want to see CCTV in our communities protected and improved, but with real-terms cuts coming from the government and the need to set the force budget early in the New Year, if there is no agreement the money will need to be allocated to support operational policing. There is significant investment from the police, but without the support of councils, we will not be able to go ahead."
• The Oxfordshire Community Resilience Small Grants programme, which supports community groups to organise local events and activities associated with climate adaptation efforts and interventions is accepting applications. The deadline is Friday 19 December.
• Thames Valley Police has launched a new initiative aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour among young people in Wantage and Grove. The scheme will provide one-to-one mentoring for individuals aged 15–21 who have come to attention for low-level offences or anti-social behaviour.

Oxfordshire politics

The Budget has, of course, been the big event in Westminster, and every Oxfordshire MP was quick out of the gate with a reaction. Labour’s Anneliese Dodds was eager to recount the key messages in one handy list:

Sean Woodcock got a shoutout in the Budget Speech itself for his work on pension reform. On social media he reposted many many Labour takes on positive news: the Chancellor's summary, the Labour Party's, and that of the former candidate for Oxford City Council St Mary’s ward (ok, ok, also current North Durham MP, Luke Akehurst).

The Liberal Democrats’ Charlie Maynard is the party’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury: he condensed his view on the budget into a three-tweet thread. The LibDems’ key message is that the economy is still suffering from Brexit, and Maynard has launched a petition for a new bespoke customs union.

Calum Miller dissects the budget in a five-bleat thread with charts, which is as close as Bluesky gets to PowerPoint: the thrust of his argument is that big banks, digital service companies and online gambling firms, rather than wage earners, should pay their fair share. He was appalled at the pre-budget leak, and held a post-Budget surgery on Thursday for constituents.

Layla Moran wrote to the Chancellor ahead of the budget urging her to take action on SEND provision and the cost of living. As Chair of the Commons Health Select Committee, she got to speak in the Budget debate and raised the issue of mental health funding. Later, on TV, she celebrated the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap but also spoke up on the costs of Brexit. Ahead of the budget, Olly Glover called for the abolition of the ‘family farm tax’, while Freddie van Mierlo urged the chancellor not to abandon salary sacrifice.

Did you spot the petition? Here’s some more: one from Labour on backing better buses (who wouldn't want that?), one from the LibDems on the illegal waste dump at Kidlington, one from PCC Matthew Barber asking for your views on the budget, and finally here is Conservative councillor Liam Walker asking you to vote for Pub of the Year. (Disappointingly, the Farmer’s Dog is in the neighbouring division, otherwise we could have had a Clarion campaign for this poor under-reported independent pub to claim the crown.)

Letting your politicians know your views is A Good Thing, and sometimes these petitions are just what they say they are. But they have a dual purpose. At the simplest, they’re used to build up email lists; more cleverly, your responses might be used to inform a profile of your views, and therefore how likely you are to vote on certain issues. Check the T&Cs and consider how happy you are to volunteer your information!

And a whistlestop tour of non-budget news:

• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock, on White Ribbon Day, added his voice supporting calls to end violence against women and girls. He hosted a listening event to discuss the future of SEND provision, saying it was the second most frequent complaint to him as an MP after housing; parents told him they need better early years intervention with quicker diagnosis and more support, more resources for schools, and a less adversarial system with a greater role for parents. He attended the Christmas tree festival at St Mary’s Church in Banbury, was out on the doors in Shutford, and has been judging entries for his Christmas card competition, saying it was the hardest decision of the year so far.
• Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller made this video for White Ribbon Day explaining his views on violence against women and girls. He’s continued to campaign on the two big issues in his constituency right now, Kidlington’s illegal rubbish dump and Bicester’s London Road crossing, organising a ‘town hall’ event on the latter this Thursday.
• Witney MP Charlie Maynard was at the Defence Academy's International Day, at Shrivenham in his constituency, where he said 47 countries were unified by a love of pork products and major concerns about Russia. He visited the ambulance service to learn more about how they work, and attended Witney’s Christmas lights switch-on. Here's his round-up.
• Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds met with the police in Barton to discuss neighbourhood issues including drug dealing and illegal ebikes. (We’re glad the Clarion emoji+headline format is catching on!) She wrote to the Royal Mail (again) on behalf of residents complaining about mail delivery. She also visited the Oxford Sudanese School and was out on the doors in St Clements.
• Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran visited Fitzharry's School for UK Parliament Week. (Content warning – miscarriage, cancer:) She asked the Health Secretary to act further to support women who had been prescribed DES (diethylstilbestrol) to prevent miscarriage, but now have a higher risk of breast cancer, with their daughters at a higher risk of rare cervical cancers, requesting better screening and compensation.
• Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover celebrated UK Parliament Week by asking his younger constituents to send their thoughts and ideas. Yesterday he visited the Earth Trust at Wittenham Clumps, the largest publicly accessible green space in Oxfordshire, to learn about their mission to help people and nature to thrive together. New nature walks, opening next year, will take in the Arboretum which he toured with Earth Trust staff. He also saw construction on the Ladygrove Greenway, a walking and cycling track to Didcot funded by developer contributions (the MP arrived by bike). We wrote about the Earth Trust, three other Oxfordshire charities and Oxford Instruments – all founded by Sir Martin Wood and Lady Audrey Wood – in an article earlier this year. 
• Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo is newly on the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee where he challenged the Minister on the security of UK government data. He demanded more action on Wallingford's bathing water quality. He spoke to the BBC about the IVF 'postcode lottery', and in White Ribbon Day he supported the campaign to end violence against women and girls. Finally he attended the launch of the Fruit and Vegetable Coalition: did you know 85% of our produce is imported? (Bit too Liz Truss for comfort…) Here's his month in review.
• Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber reckons he agrees with David Lammy on jury trials (with a proviso…) and disagrees with some of the conclusions of the Leveson Review: “the right to trial by our peers matters”. He signed a letter in support of a single Oxfordshire unitary, but asked the government to get on with their decision-making. He launched ‘Bobbi’, TVP Hampshire & Isle of Wight constabulary's new virtual AI assistant (no comment). Finally, he also had to decide on a winner for his Christmas card contest, and was out on the doors in the rain in Sutton Courtenay.

University and research

• “Rage bait” is Oxford University Press’s word of the year after a week-long public vote. Lexicographers say that although the phrase was first attested in 2002, usage has tripled over the last year. OUP say that rage bait differs from clickbait in its intent to evoke “anger, discord and polarization” (which itself is a classic example of rage bait in its flagrant disregard for the Oxford comma).
• A new series of free online short lectures about climate change has been launched by Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and Fellow at New College. Titled Climate Realism, it aims to explain why progress is slow and what we need to do. It comprises 11 video lectures of 25-30 minutes each, considering issues from clean energy to carbon pricing and geoengineering to generational equity.
• The Ashmolean has welcomed its millionth visitor in 2025 – the first time the Museum has reached a million visitors since reopening in 2009, and 14% ahead of this time last year. The biggest increases were among visitors from overseas, from within Oxfordshire, and families, while commercial events and weddings have provided a complementary income stream. Director Xa Sturgis said: ‘The Ashmolean team is absolutely thrilled to have welcomed a million people. These figures are testament to the strength of our programme, our fantastic collections, an increased understanding of our audiences, and vitally – free admission.”
• Hillary Clinton was at St John's College last week to celebrate the Hillary Rodham Clinton Chair in Women’s History. From lectures to panel discussions, the programme spotlighted why care, from childcare to elder care, must be at the heart of political debate and academic thought.
• A new artwork commissioned by the Pitt Rivers Museum portrays British soldiers looting African sculptures. The bronze plaque by artist Phil Omodamwen is modelled on the brass sculptures known as the ‘Benin bronzes’ now held in museums across Europe. ‘Looting of the Oba's Palace in 1897’ is expected to be installed in the Pitt Rivers in mid-2026. Elsewhere, the opening of the Museum of West African Art in Nigeria has been delayed after protests over the national or royal ownership of the Benin bronzes.

Trains and buses

• Oxfordshire County Council says it is prepared to contribute funds to an underpass for London Road in Bicester. The current level crossing is due to close at an unspecified date when East West Rail service levels increase. OCC leader Liz Leffman said: “We welcome EWR’s introduction of an underpass option, and we hope to be able to provide financial support. Other sources will be required to ensure full funding and we will hold discussions with EWR and the Government.”
• Stagecoach's extra buses and extended services, taking advantage of Oxford's temporary congestion charge, began on Sunday. They claim faster journey times on routes from Barton, Blackbird Leys, and Kidlington, and are extending two routes to the Park & Ride at Oxford Parkway.

Notes from Clarion HQ

Sometimes you deliberately pass up a scoop. We chose to do that last week when two Clarion scribes found themselves sitting at a cafe table across from three student politicos, who were earnestly discussing the denouement of the latest Oxford Union drama and the statements about to be released.

If you’ve not been following along, the Union’s former president-elect said something crass about the shooting of US activist Charlie Kirk and has since resigned. “Student says something silly” is really not the sort of news that should make waves outside the pages of Cherwell, but then it is the Oxford Union, which has a rather trying fascination for a certain class of Fleet Street journo. Today, more than a month on, the Telegraph has churned out 600 sarcastic words sneering at “a profound loss to the field of philosophical inquiry” and “this mouth-watering intellectual treat”. (The columnist in question used to work for that hotbed of philosophical inquiry, sub-Loaded “mens’ weekly” Zoo.) But can’t we give students a little space to grow up away from the full force of the media glare?

We’re beginning to see why the OED has anointed “rage bait” as its word of the year. No rage bait here – just Oxford news and the occasional cat! See you on Friday for the weekend newsletter.