Ministers are facing calls to investigate the chairman of the British university regulator for his participation in a conference of the Republican Party, which platforms of notorious racists and anti-Semites.
Labor and the Liberal Democrats have called on Conservative leaders and ministers to take action after James Wharton, chairman of the Student Service (OfS), addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) Hungary in Budapest on Friday.
On the same day that Lord Wharton, who led Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign, gave his video message, Zolt Bayer, a TV talk show host in Hungary who took the blame for his racism, took the stage. Bayer called the Jews “smelly excrement,” called Roma “animals,” and used racial epithets to describe blacks.
Senior color academics said Wharton’s participation in the event raised questions about whether OfS would tackle racism effectively in UK universities.
In a speech on Twitter, Wharton praised the recent victory of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, adding that he was in Budapest during the last election to see that “we can win”. He also said that Cpac was “a great chance to get new ideas”, to “reconnect with friends around the world” and to “fight for the values we are all dear to”.
Other speakers at the conference included Jack Posobiec, a far-right American blogger who uses anti-Semitic symbols, former US President Donald Trump and former Ukip leader Nigel Farage. Orban was the star speaker on the first day.
Anneliese Dodds, secretary for women in the shadows and equality and chairman of the Labor Party, called on conservatives to clarify whether Wharton was allowed to attend the Cpac and whether the party shared the views he expressed.
In a letter to Tory Co-Chair Oliver Dowden, she wrote: “Can you explain urgently whether the Conservatives think it is acceptable for the President of the Student Service to publicly support Mr Orban at a time when Lord Wharton is responsible for defending academic freedom in this country?” ? And will you condemn Lord Wharton for sharing a platform with racists, anti-Semites and right-wing extremists?
Munira Wilson, a Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, said: “It is incredibly worrying that the head of the independent higher education regulator is moving in such circles. There is no reasonable excuse to support such a company.
“This is a really bad thing for OfS and completely undermines their stated policy of zero tolerance for racism and anti-Semitism. The Secretary of Education must immediately investigate Wharton’s presence at the event. Students from ethnic minority groups and Jewish communities deserve answers. “
Last year’s appointment of Wharton, a former Conservative MP with no experience in higher education, as chairman of the OFS drew widespread criticism from politicians and students, who said he lacked independence.
Prof. Kalvant Bhopal, director of the Center for Racial Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the chairman of OfS chose to speak at the event. This suggests that we cannot be sure that OfS will address the issue of racism and take it seriously. This is a step backwards and reinforces the rhetoric of right-wing politicians that racism is no longer a problem. “
Kehind Andrews, a professor of black at the University of Birmingham, said: “This is a worrying time for students from different, poor and minority backgrounds. It is quite clear that the chairman of OfS will not fight against their corner. “
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In 2018, Orbán closed the Independent University of Central Europe as part of his campaign against George Soros. Most recently, he embraced the conspiracy theory of the “great deputy”, which includes promoting the belief that the white population is deliberately reduced by left-wing politics and eroded by immigration.
OfS said Wharton did not speak as chairman of OfS.
Asked about Wharton’s endorsement of Orban in parliament on Monday, Education Secretary Nadim Zahawi said: “I support the chairman of the Student Service for all his work working to improve student performance at our universities.
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