Cushman Writes

The first parliamentary by-election of 2026 arrived amid an MP's dismissal, a huge campaign and an intense social media strategy. With Hannah Spencer, the Green Party candidate - and now victor - dubbing the election “an appeal for trust” and a “battle against fear”. With the results now in, let us analyse the effectiveness of the persuasive tactics that were on strong display and hypothesise how far these persuasions may have impacted the outcome. (Spencer 2026) The Lead Up: Why a by-election? Andrew Gwynne, the former MP for Gorton and Denton, stood down due to ill health. He had previously served as the MP for the area (formerly known as Denton and Reddish) from 2005 until 2026. However, in the last year of his parliamentary career, he served as an Independent MP after being suspended from the Labour Party. This was the result of leaked WhatsApp messages, which led to a Parliamentary Watchman enquiry.  The Lead Up: Social Media  It was clear that Hannah Spencer's brand was ...

We cannot escape the media presence of Reform UK. Consisting of - at the last count - 8 MPs, the party appears to have more media coverage than the official opposition, the Conservatives. With such a platform also comes great responsibility. Growing numbers of councillors, and more MPs (though most are unelected defectors), Reform UK has become a spokesparty for the future of UK politics. Its language and ideas have sparked debate, but what is its effect? The ‘Shadow’ Cabinet  Traditionally, only the ‘winning’ party (or parties) forms a government, with the ‘runners up’ assembling a shadow cabinet. Their purpose is to scrutinise the government, as well as for their own party, to position themselves as the next potential government. (A taster, if you like.) Reform UK is neither of the above.  Nigel Farage’s announcement of their ‘shadow’ cabinet, a week ago, was met with a range of reactions. John Crace, The Guardian, called the announcement nothing more than a sham, viewing it...

Reform UK are always making headlines; however, earlier this month, it was over Sarah Pochin MP and campaigner Jack Anderton being denied the opportunity to speak at the University of Bangor’s Debating and Political Society. (Ferguson and Williams 2026) Quick to respond, Zia Yusuf - the party’s head of policy - suggested that under a Reform government, the university could see a cut of “£30 million”. (Ferguson and Williams 2026) With UK Universities being in perpetual peril, is it right for politicians to threaten to cut them further simply for not platforming them? The Office for Students announced in November 2025 that, in the 2025/2026 academic year, approximately half of UK universities will face a deficit. (Office for Students 2025) This is an increase of around 10% from 4 in 10 earlier that year. (Jeffreys and Shearing 2025) Clearly, they are struggling. For too long, the student loan system has been criticised as inadequate, with too little being paid per student compared. Plus,...

This article was written for the Oxford Labour Club's in-house journal 'Look Left'. It is part of a series which focuses on the future of the NHS in 2050, with this one focusing on NHS Dentistry.  Let’s face it most people dread going to the dentist… who can blame them? With Reform on the rise and NHS dental contracts being unfit for purpose, the future of NHS dentistry remains questionable. NHS dentistry needs serious reform, or else it risks disappearing by 2050. The Current Assessment Dentistry began life under the NHS in 1948 as free at the point of delivery. However, this was short-lived as charges were introduced in 1951. Most people using the NHS service today can be expected to pay in a ‘band’ system. This three-tier system is famously the bane of dentists' lives - or at least that's what my friends' dad says. However, the charges for this NHS service – as they currently stand – do not cover the cost of materials and labour. It is unsustainable. Alongsid...

History does not just write itself. Individuals across the centuries have sought to understand their circumstances by looking both to current events near and far (both geographically and temporally). Below is a summary of how I have understood the comparative method.  Marc Bloch was a pioneer of the Annales school and a critical thinker of the benefits of comparison for historians. In an article from 1963, he argues that it is “one of the most pressing needs of present-day historical science.” [1] He is, in some ways, right. Historians need to take comparison as essential for exposing questions which would not otherwise have become visible. To Bloch, sources would not expose their answers without careful questioning. Comparison, as such, enables this. We can take a period, time or place and compare how similar elements (e.g., governance or slavery) were conducted. Yet, as my class has illuminated, we must also take into consideration the context of these different societies in ...