Communities minister says Professor Jason Arday's death must be 'call to action'

Professor Jason Arday's death should be a "call to action", the communities minister has told a debate on Black History Month.

Florence Eshalomi said she had worked with the late academic at the Runnymede Trust, and had to pause to compose herself while paying tribute to him in the Commons on Thursday.

The former Cambridge University academic was found dead at his home in south London earlier this year, after he had faced intense scrutiny over accusations of plagiarism in his work and fabrication of his life story.

An inquest is under way into his death in August, aged 41.

Labour MP Dawn Butler said Professor Arday had been "hounded to death", and party colleague Abena Oppong-Asare said it had been a reminder about how black people in the public eye are treated.

Opening the debate, Ms Eshalomi criticised racism faced by BAME British people, including the new Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Sagal Abdi-Wali.

She also praised Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for speaking out against the questioning of people's nationality because of their skin colour.

"We should never normalise questioning someone's loyalty or nationality based on the colour of their skin," Ms Eshalomi said.

"We see the horrific consequences of this in the news far too often. I want to take a moment to recognise and remember Jason Arday, whose tragic death must be a call to action for all of us," she said.

"I worked with Jason when I led as the project manager at the Runnymede Trust. Jason was one of the board members, one of the youngest board members," Ms Eshalomi said.

She was interrupted by Ms Butler, who said: "Professor Arday has touched so many of us... I thank my honourable friend for ensuring his name will be remembered in this place in perpetuity."

Ms Eshalomi replied: "I thank her and I thank members that were able to join Jason's family at the tribute organised with my constituency neighbour the member for Clapham and Brixton Hill, unfortunately I was not able to make that."

Ms Oppong-Asare said "it's a reminder to all of us about how inequality exists".

"He made history by becoming one of the youngest black professors at the University of Cambridge, and we shouldn't forget that," Ms Oppong-Asare said.

"His story sadly raises the treatment of black people who reach positions of prominence, and his family have spoken about the abuse he's experienced and harassment alongside that," she said.

In her own speech, Ms Butler referenced the campaign against Professor Arday by Nathan Cofnas, who had written a blog accusing him of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis.

Mr Cofnas had previously written that black people are less intelligent than other groups, and would "disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment" under a meritocratic system.

He was suspended from Ghent University before being reinstated following pressure from US ambassador Bill White.

Ms Butler said Professor Arday "was an exceptional scholar of race and inequality".

"He joined the faculty of the University of Cambridge in 2023, and in August 2026 he was hounded to his death. And the hunt started by a self-proclaimed eugenicist and white supremacist," Ms Butler said.