Sir James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, has claimed that Cambridge University utilized academic Jason Arday for "bragging rights," suggesting his appointment was based on his age and ethnicity rather than his professional merits. Cleverly asserted that senior staff at Cambridge and other universities celebrated Arday with "glee" for being the youngest Black professor, a focus he believes led to him being "lifted so high so quickly."

This rapid ascent, according to Cleverly, meant Arday had "so far to fall" when scrutiny emerged from outside the university establishment. He expressed anger over the situation, stating it "could and should have never come this far" if proper due diligence had been conducted by university institutions.

Arday, 41, was found deceased in Battersea, south London, on Friday, just over a week after resigning from his position at Jesus College. His resignation followed a dispute over plagiarism allegations and his academic career. He had been appointed professor of sociology of education at the age of 37, making him the youngest Black person to hold a professorship at Cambridge.

Cleverly, who is Britain's first Black former home secretary and foreign secretary, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he believed the questions surrounding Arday were "genuine and legitimate." However, he argued that if these questions had been thoroughly investigated by the institutions involved prior to his appointment, Arday would not have been in such a "personally exposed position."

"Anyone who puts themselves into the public eye should expect scrutiny," Cleverly said. "And he was pushed into the public eye. He was made the poster child, a wunderkind, and I think the people who did that – they surely should have known that a number of the claims he was making were impossible, literally impossible, and yet they did anyway."

When asked if he thought some of the scrutiny Arday faced was motivated by racism, Cleverly responded, "quite possibly."

Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury, Cambridge's chancellor, also commented on the matter, stating his belief that academic integrity and rigorous investigation of plagiarism claims are compatible with refusing to engage in a "racist feeding frenzy" over an academic.

The coroner has been notified of Arday's death, and an investigation is underway to determine if an inquest will be opened. No cause of death has been provided.

Cambridge University had previously stated that plagiarism claims concerning Arday's thesis and publications were being investigated by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and the journals involved. LJMU, which awarded Arday his PhD in 2015, had concluded he had not plagiarized. However, Cambridge announced an independent investigation into his appointment last week. Arday resigned from his post, asserting that his decision should not be interpreted as an admission of the accusations against him.

A vigil organized by Arday's postdoctoral students was held at Cambridge on Sunday, attended by over 200 people.