MORE than 127,000 people have signed a letter to Andy Burnham and his Culture Secretary calling for an inquiry into the death of Cambridge University professor Jason Arday.
The letter set up by the Good Law Project addressed to Burnham and Lisa Nandy has called for an immediate inquiry into "how to ensure a responsible press" arguing that "relentless harassment" from the media contributed to his death.
Arday, who had resigned following a plagiarism row, was found dead at a property in south London last week.
The academic who sparked the pile-on which preceded Arday's death, Nathan Cofnas, has said he is under investigation by his university.
Cofnas revived accusations of plagiarism against Arday in a blog post last month. He claimed to have found evidence of copying in the sociologist’s work and said he was unfit to have become Cambridge University’s youngest ever black professor.
The Good Law Project letter has been signed by veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott and Green Party leader Zack Polanski as well as actress Jameela Jamil.
It says: "There cannot be any doubt that Dr Arday’s tragic death was the direct, foreseeable and foreseen result of press harassment. A significant element in that harassment was the colour of his skin. Self-regulation of the press has comprehensively failed.
"Many of the signatories to this letter warned multiple media outlets privately that their relentless pursuit of Dr Arday risked his suicide.
"Two weeks of relentless harassment followed, continuing even after his resignation as a Professor when the reasonable public interest in the story had diminished or evaporated. On 14 August, Dr Arday died in the most tragic circumstances. His tragic death did not result from the allegations of plagiarism but from the press coverage.
"There cannot be any doubt that racism lay at the heart of this story."
It goes on: "Black people are fearful and on the evidence they are right to be.
"We respectfully ask you to commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death."
A separate letter calling for an inquiry (below) addressed to the chief executive of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), organised by MP Afzal Khan, has also been signed by cross-party MPs including those from Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party.
Jason Arday is dead at 41 after weeks of brutal, relentless public scrutiny and years of abuse. In the days leading up to his death, 249 articles were written about Arday. These reached way beyond what could be reasonably considered in the public interest. Whatever anyone… pic.twitter.com/blRw9EMbx5
— Clive Lewis MP (@labourlewis) August 19, 2026
Arday, a professor of sociology of education who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, quit following a series of media reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis – completed at Liverpool John Moores University – and other research.
Further questions were asked in the press about the truth of other claims he made, including saying he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.
An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Arday of wrongdoing.
In a statement issued by his publisher Simon & Schuster UK, Arday’s family said: “Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for the more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him.
"The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone.
“We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son."
The university has confirmed it will continue its investigation into the circumstances around Arday’s “appointment and tenure” after he quit, adding that findings will feed into a review of the process for appointing senior roles.
