Labour is facing accusations of silence regarding the controversy surrounding former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday, with critics demanding action from Education Secretary Lucy Powell.
Ms Powell and her department have remained quiet on the matter despite increasing scrutiny of the higher education sector. Two former education secretaries told the Daily Mail that Ms Powell's silence is "not good enough" and urged the government to seek answers from the University of Cambridge.
Tory Sir Gavin Williamson stated that while the scandal is "deeply humiliating" for Cambridge, it reflects a "wider rot that has touched all aspects of higher education in this country." He warned that "Britain's world-leading universities need a reality check, and a commitment to ending DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] culture that has led to the Jason Arday scandal." Williamson added, "It is not good enough for the Education Secretary to sit back on this issue and allow the sector to police itself. She should be demanding talks with university leaders, not least from Cambridge, to ascertain how exactly this came to pass and how it can be prevented from happening again."
Former Conservative minister Nadhim Zahawi described the Education Secretary's silence as "unconscionable." He said, "The Jason Arday scandal is not just a Cambridge problem. It is symptomatic of a wider bigotry of low expectations that hurts talented non-white people by creating the impression that they only achieve as token diversity hires, by raising up frauds like this." Zahawi asserted, "The Government must urgently call in senior leaders from the sector, in particular Cambridge, to demand answers and agree a way forward that will strip DEI initiatives from the system and guarantee this does not happen again."
Suella Braverman, former Cabinet minister and Reform's education spokesman, commented, "Lucy Powell should be leading from the front, working with the Office for Students and calling for an investigation into this scandal. Instead, she is missing in action and has failed her first big test."
Professor Arday, who was accused of plagiarism and fabricating parts of his curriculum vitae, resigned from his position on Wednesday evening after the university launched an investigation.
Growing anger has emerged within Cambridge's faculty regarding the university's role in facilitating his appointment. Douglas Hedley, a professor of the philosophy of religion and fellow at Clare College, questioned the appointment process, noting, "Given the paucity of his publications and a mediocre CV, why on earth was this possible? The only possible explanation is the whole DEI culture. DEI is a Trojan horse that will ultimately destroy the notion of the university... It's really dangerous."
Hedley called for an "independent investigation" into the processes and academics involved in Professor Arday's rise, suggesting the university's own inquiry was insufficient.
Another Cambridge academic, speaking anonymously to The Times, described the situation as "disastrous for Cambridge, and it is disastrous for higher education." The concerns about Cambridge University allegedly prioritizing diversity policies over academic rigor have intensified calls for governmental intervention.
Ben Obese-Jecty, a Black Conservative MP, stated, "Cambridge University's willingness to fete him, specifically, as their youngest Black professor, is precisely the type of tick box diversity exercise that does a disservice to those whose credentials and successes aren't fictional."
When asked if the Department for Education had any comment or had contacted the University of Cambridge regarding the scandal, a departmental spokesperson told the Daily Mail, "We have nothing further to add for now."