Cambridge Chancellor Criticises ‘Racist Feeding Frenzy’ Around Jason Arday
Branwen Jeffreys and Vicky Wong, BBC, August 17, 2026
Cambridge University’s chancellor has criticised the “racist feeding frenzy” around Jason Arday, the professor who died after stepping down during a plagiarism row.
Arday – who became the university’s youngest black professor when appointed in 2023 – had faced weeks of media coverage over plagiarism allegations and questions about his achievements. He denied the claims.
Speaking publicly for the first time, Lord Chris Smith said academic integrity could be upheld while questioning Arday’s treatment.
Thousands gathered on Monday for a vigil organised by Stand Up To Racism in Trafalgar Square, where Labour MP Diane Abbott said Arday had been subject to a “vicious and bitter media campaign”.
She said attacks by “people who didn’t believe a black man should be a Cambridge professor” started as soon as he was appointed by the university in 2023.
“This was a campaign against all of us,” she added.
It comes after more than 90,000 people – including Abbott and Jameela Jamil – signed a Good Law Project petition seeking an inquiry into media coverage of Arday. That petition says his death followed “two weeks of relentless harassment”.
In a statement following the professor’s death, Lord Smith said: “I do believe it is possible to hold to two principles at the same time: to believe in the importance of academic integrity, and where criticisms of plagiarism arise, about any academic, whoever they are, ensure that they are rigorously investigated.
“And also to refuse to join in a racist feeding frenzy over a particular academic.”
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An investigation will be carried out to determine Arday’s cause of death, which could take several weeks, the London Inner South Coroner’s Court has said.
Once complete, and following any submissions from Arday’s family, the coroner will confirm if an inquest will take place.
Sir James Cleverly said he was angry about what happened to Arday, and the university establishment – not just Cambridge – should have “done the robust due diligence and checking that should happen with any senior academic appointment”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme on Monday, the shadow housing secretary said he felt Arday was used as “bragging rights by some universities”, and that people spoke of his “age and his ethnicity rather than his talent”.
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On Sunday, more than 200 people attended a vigil at Cambridge that was organised by Arday’s postdoctoral students.
