Jason Arday 'hounded to death' says former council leader

Local Labour figures Peray Ahmet and Tulip Siddiq MP have both commented on the academic’s death, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Jason Arday (credit ConiferousForest19 via Wikimedia Commons)

The former leader of Haringey Council has criticised the treatment of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday – arguing the academic was “hounded to death”.

Arday was found dead at an address in Battersea last Friday (14th), days after resigning as a professor at Cambridge University amid intensive – and controversial – levels of media scrutiny.

Peray Ahmet, who led the local authority prior to the local elections in May, posted a statement on X.com from a vigil held at Trafalgar Square for Arday on Monday (17th).

The former Labour council leader said that there was a large turnout and speeches from “key figures in the black community”, including Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott and Brent East MP Dawn Butler.

“Those responsible for hounding him, should hang their heads in shame,” Ahmet added.

Arday, a British academic and author, was appointed as professor of sociology of education at Cambridge University in 2023 at the age of 37, becoming the youngest black person in the institution’s history to do so.

His death followed an intensive news cycle focusing on allegations of plagiarism and claims he had falsified some of his achievements. News of his death sparked further debate about disproportionate and racialised scrutiny.

In an earlier post responding to the initial news of Arday’s death last Friday, the former leader of Haringey Council said: “He was literally hounded to death.

“Perhaps he was a fantasist, but he isn’t the first and he won’t be the last. What set him apart was his race.”

“Shame on all of you who participated in this witch hunt. RIP Jason Arday,” Ahmet added.

The same day, Hampstead and Highgate MP Tulip Siddiq also took to X, posting a four-word statement: “Witch hunts have consequences.”

Accusations surrounding Arday’s work spiralled into a media frenzy when, in July, self-proclaimed “race realist” Nathan Cofnas wrote a blog post claiming he had found numerous instances of plagiarism in the professor’s work.

Earlier today (Thursday 20th), Cofnas announced that he had been suspended under investigation by Ghent University in Belgium.

Cofnas previously lost a role at Cambridge after another post in February 2024 in which he claimed that, in a meritocratic system, black people “would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment”.

In a statement, Arday’s family said they were “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son” and blamed the impact of what they described as a “campaign of misinformation”.

Last week, the Metropolitan Police announced that Arday’s death was being treated “as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious”.

Arday, 41, had admitted to errors in his work but denied allegations of plagiarism and said the controversy had led to “an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack”.

On Saturday (15th), Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the professor’s death as “a tragedy on so many levels” and called for “a moment of reflection”.

The PM added: “It’s not a moment for any rushing to judgement. It’s a moment for reflection, I would say, reflecting on how things came to this”.

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.