Death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday described by British prime minister as a “tragedy on many levels

The body of former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday was found at his home in south London on Friday. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham described his death as a “tragedy on many levels”.

Arday had stepped down from his position as a professor at the University of Cambridge one week earlier, following allegations of plagiarism, which he had denied. His death was discovered shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday.

His family, in a statement published by publisher Simon & Schuster UK, said they were “shocked” by the loss of “a wonderful father, partner, brother, uncle and son”.

Burnham, speaking during a visit to Cornwall on Saturday, said the case was especially tragic for Arday’s family and friends.

“This is not a moment to rush to judgment. It is a moment for reflection, to reflect on how things came to this point. It is a truly sad and miserable situation, and I think everyone today is thinking about Jason, his contribution, his family and his friends,” he said.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign launched by Windrush activist Sir Patrick Vernon has raised more than £20,000 for Arday’s family.

Among those who have offered their condolences and paid tribute to his memory are London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

Khan said he was “devastated” for Arday’s family and friends. He described the public pressure placed on the former academic as “unacceptable” and spoke out against an abusive campaign.

“Jason Arday was the victim of a damaging public shaming that people in his position simply would not have been able to withstand. His death was a tragedy, but once again it must serve as a wake-up call for all of us,” Khan said.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy also criticised what she called a “witch-hunt” by the media during an interview with Newsnight. According to the MP, the attacks were aimed not only at Arday but also at the people who supported him.

She also claimed that race was one of the differences between Arday and the other academics she referred to, stating: “The difference between them and him was that they were white, and he was not.”

Conservative MP James Cleverly also reacted. In a post on X, he said that some people in academic institutions “have serious questions to answer”.

Simon Baron-Cohen, a clinical psychologist, director of the Autism Research Centre and a friend of Arday, said he had communicated with him on Friday morning. According to him, Arday had said that he was no longer able to continue.

Baron-Cohen revealed that Arday had been diagnosed in childhood with difficulties including autism, language delay and learning differences.

“He was a vulnerable child, a vulnerable teenager and a vulnerable adult, so he needed and deserved protection, support and reasonable adjustments at every step of the way,” he said.

The initial allegations against Arday concerned the plagiarism of another person’s work in his doctoral thesis, claims that he denied. An investigation by Liverpool John Moores University, where he had completed his doctorate, supported the decision to award him the degree earlier this year.

In recent weeks, other aspects of his personal history were also called into question, including claims about extraordinary fundraising for charity and his long-distance running results. He also faced questions over his claim that he had been non-verbal as a child.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said Arday had faced “a public and brutal confrontation that unleashed a tirade of racism”.

“There is a profound difference between detailed scrutiny and a sustained public campaign that turns an individual into a symbol of everything the right believes is wrong with DEI,” Kebede said.

The Metropolitan Police said the case was being investigated as an unexpected death.