Jason Arday death ‘tragedy on so many levels’ says PM Burnham

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 of reflection. Arday was found dead in a Battersea, south London address on Friday. Arday's family told a publisher statement they were shocked by his loss, describing him as an amazing father, partner, brother, uncle, and son.

They claimed a campaign of misinformation had been too much for him. Arday resigned from his professorship at Cambridge last week following allegations of plagiarism and questions over his achievements, which he denied. Cambridge's vice-chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice expressed deep sorrow at his death and extended heartfelt sympathies to Arday's family and friends.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell called the death "deeply shocking and sad" and urged people to remember that behind every story are real people with loved ones involved. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan criticized Arday's unrelenting media scrutiny, describing it as "an unacceptable public hounding and campaign of abuse". Jo Grady, General Secretary of the University and College Union, called for an investigation into the harassment and racism Arday faced.

Lord Paul Boateng condemned racism in academia, stating it's a fact of life that needs to be addressed. The National Education Union (NEU) general secretary Daniel Kebede highlighted Arday's experience of a public and brutal takedown that unleashed a tirade of racism. Autism Research Centre Director Prof Simon Baron-Cohen described Arday as an incredibly kind, gentle, and caring man, noting that he had been bombarded by media outlets painting him as a fraud.

Kehinde Andrews, a friend of Arday and Professor of Black Studies, said Arday was down after resigning and had lost a significant amount of weight. Shadow Communities Secretary Sir James Cleverly expressed anger over the "tragic" death, questioning a number of academic institutions for their roles. Arday had denied plagiarism allegations but admitted errors due to his autism.

The controversy began when another academic, Nathan Cofnas, accused Arday of plagiarism, which led to the questioning of other aspects of Arday's life, such as his charity fundraising and running 600 miles in six days. Arday resigned from Cambridge due to the overwhelming scrutiny, stating that criticism had become far beyond scholarly disagreement.

Cambridge announced an independent investigation into the circumstances of Arday's appointment, following the initial plagiarism claims.