Burnham says death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday 'a tragedy on so many levels'
Mr Arday is understood to have been found "unresponsive" at an address in Battersea on Friday afternoon
The death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday is a “tragedy” and should be a “moment for reflection”, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said.
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Prof Arday, who resigned after a plagiarism row, was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday to reports that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property.
He reportedly told a friend he “couldn’t go on” hours before he died after being subjected to intense public scrutiny over his academic career.
Mr Burnham told reporters during a visit to Cornwall: “It’s a tragedy on so many levels, but particularly just for everybody who knew Jason, his family obviously, his friends. We think of them today.
“It’s not a moment for any rushing to judgment. It’s a moment for reflection, I would say, reflecting on how things came to this.
“A really sad, sad and sorry state of affairs, and I think we all today think of Jason, his contribution, and his family and friends.”
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The Metropolitan Police said his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.
Marcus Ryder MBE, Founder of the Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, told LBC that Mr Arday's death is "incredibly tragic and sad".
He said: "I think it speaks to the fact that even in death Jason's story goes beyond Jason Arday, and his story is being used for political purposes both by the left and the right.
"And it shows how when black people achieve a certain level of prominence, their lives are, are publicly owned."
Reflecting on the intense and widespread scrutiny Mr Arday had faced in recent weeks, Mr Ryder said: "Irrespective of whether there are inconsistencies in his stories, the level of scrutiny - there have been lots and lots of research with regards to Black people receiving far higher levels of scrutiny and far more disproportionate levels of punishment and disciplinaries at work if they transgress certain wrongs."
A statement issued by Prof Arday's publisher, Simon & Schuster UK, saw his family lay bare the "sustained abuse" they say he had suffered since being appointed to Cambridge in 2023.
The late academic's family paid tribute to him as an “amazing” and “gentle man”.
The statement 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.
“We won’t comment further at this point beyond asking the press to leave us alone now, and to stop the campaign of harassment which has been waged against Jason and his family for too long.”