A group of politicians and public figures, including Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Labour MPs Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Clive Lewis, and Nadia Whittome, have signed a statement calling for an "immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press." The statement was issued following the death of Professor Jason Arday, 41, who was found dead on Friday afternoon in Battersea, south London. Arday had resigned from his position as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education on August 5, after allegations of plagiarism and questions arose regarding some of his academic achievements. He had denied these claims.
Liverpool John Moores University had previously concluded that Arday had not plagiarized work when they awarded him his PhD in 2015. The controversy began when another academic, Nathan Cofnas, who identified as a "race realist" and was dismissed from a Cambridge role in 2024, claimed to have found numerous instances of plagiarism in Arday's work. Cofnas's termination followed a backlash to his views that under a true meritocracy, Black people would "disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment."
Lord Simon Woolley, who met with Arday days before his death, described the professor as feeling "hounded" and that the media coverage had been "a bloodsport." Woolley stated that he and other friends, including Diane Abbott and Misan Harriman, had met with Arday to offer support, noting that they too had experienced "horrible media attention." He recounted Arday appearing "half his body weight and desperate beyond belief" during their last meeting.
Woolley also raised concerns about differential treatment, suggesting that Arday's experience was not unique but that issues of plagiarism are common in academia. "We have to ask this question, we have to talk about - which a lot of people don't want to talk about, is racism. You have to look at negatively differential treatment," he commented.
On August 6, Cambridge University announced an independent investigation into Arday's appointment. The university had celebrated Arday's position, recognizing the significance of appointing one of the one percent of Black professors in UK universities, and questions have been raised about its duty of care. A fundraiser for Arday's family, launched by Windrush campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon, has raised over £40,000. Sir Patrick Vernon is also among the signatories to the statement demanding a public inquiry.