A Windrush campaigner who launched a fundraiser for the family of Jason Arday has said the outpouring of support shows “Britain still cares”. Sir Patrick Vernon, who helped establish a national Windrush Day, set up a GoFundMe page on Saturday that has collected more than £160,000.
Arday, a professor of sociology of education at the University of Cambridge, was found dead on Friday. He had resigned the previous week after allegations of plagiarism were made against him.
Vigil planned in Trafalgar Square
A vigil for Arday, organised by the group Stand Up to Racism, is scheduled for 6pm on Monday on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, central London. Earlier, a separate vigil was held outside Cambridge’s Senate House building on Sunday.
Calls are growing for an investigation into media reporting of the case. An open letter to Andy Burnham demanding a public inquiry “to ensure we never see a tragic death like Dr Arday’s again” has gathered more than 85,000 signatures.
Prime minister open to inquiry
The prime minister is said to be open to the idea and has not ruled out “Leveson 2” – the planned second part of the earlier inquiry into British press standards, which was cancelled in 2018. He has stressed, however, that now is a time for reflection while the usual processes, such as an inquest, are followed and concluded.
Downing Street declined to say “at this stage” whether Burnham was considering an inquiry over Arday’s death.
Cambridge chancellor criticises ‘racist feeding frenzy’
Cambridge’s chancellor, Chris Smith, broke his silence over the controversy and described what he called a “racist feeding frenzy” around the academic’s death. In a statement released on Monday, 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.”
Vernon, who is among the letter’s signatories, told the Press Association that the outpouring of support shows the public “still cares” and felt “angry”. “Britain still cares – people, black, white, brown, care and feel angry about the situation,” he said. “People want to support the family. There’s lots of speculation about how much money Jason has or doesn’t have – that’s not the point. The fact is, people want to support the family because he’s dead, he’s died and he has a young family. He has parents and he has a family that he has supported, and people want to support the family.”
Vernon said the treatment of Arday raised questions around press regulation, the University of Cambridge and the “state of race relations in Britain today”.
University investigation on hold
Before Arday’s death, Cambridge said it would investigate the circumstances around his “appointment and tenure” and the findings would feed into a review of the process for appointing senior roles. It is understood the university does not feel it is right to make a decision on whether to proceed with its investigation while Arday’s family are grieving.
