Arabic version: رئيس الوزراء يصف وفاة جيسون آرداي بأنها «مأساة»

According to BBC News, Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday as “a tragedy on so many levels” and called for a “moment for reflection”. Arday was found dead at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.

Arday, 41, resigned last week as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education following allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements. He denied the claims, while acknowledging errors in his work. His family said they were “in shock” at losing “this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son” and said a “campaign of misinformation” had been too much for him.

Cambridge vice-chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice said the faculty was “desperately saddened” by his death. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was “deeply shocked and saddened”, while London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said Arday had faced unrelenting media scrutiny and an “unacceptable public hounding and campaign of abuse”.

Friends and colleagues also paid tribute. Eamonn McCrystal called Arday “the nicest person”, describing him as kind and gentle. Prof Simon Baron-Cohen said Arday had been “bombarded by every media outlet to paint him as a fraud”. Professor Kehinde Andrews said there should be a wake-up call over the experience of black academics in academia.

A donation page established by Windrush campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon had raised more than £10,000 for funeral costs. A vigil organised by Stand Up To Racism is due to be held on Monday evening on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Cambridge has announced an independent investigation into the circumstances of Arday’s appointment, while Liverpool John Moores University said it had concluded he had not plagiarised work.