🟡 From This Month’s Magazine Reform UK and Big Tech Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel’s ‘Political Pipeline’ Recruitment Project at the World-Renowned… By Byline Times raising The academic institution has nothing to say in response to a six-month investigation by Byline Times raising serious…

Reform UK and Big Tech Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel’s ‘Political Pipeline’ Recruitment Project at the World-Renowned University Revealed

The academic institution has nothing to say in response to a six-month investigation by Byline Times raising serious concerns about the safeguarding of students and hard-right and foreign influence at Cambridge…

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Breaking news Cambridge University loses the whistleblowing tribunal Vice Chancellor Deborah Prentice is among the respondents found to have retaliated against a whistleblower Never rains but it pours 21percent.org?p=4148

Breaking news Cambridge University loses the whistleblowing tribunal Vice Chancellor Deborah Prentice is among the respondents found to have retaliated against a whistleblower Never rains but it pours 21percent.org?p=4148

Relevant to events Q Why appoint an American from 3600 miles away as Vice Chancellor of Cambridge? A She's no understanding of what's been going on & no established power base of her own She's dependent on senior leadership team - a prisoner of the people she is supposed to lead & hold to account

Relevant to events Q Why appoint an American from 3600 miles away as Vice Chancellor of Cambridge? A She's no understanding of what's been going on & no established power base of her own She's dependent on senior leadership team - a prisoner of the people she is supposed to lead & hold to account

Cambridge University: Guide to Complaints 1 Complaints are not taken seriously 2 Focus is to find ways to dismiss them 3 Complainant (student or academic or journo) is labeled a “troublemaker” 4 Lawyers or, in extreme circs, police may be needed The case in the news shows standard practice

Cambridge University: Guide to Complaints 1 Complaints are not taken seriously 2 Focus is to find ways to dismiss them 3 Complainant (student or academic or journo) is labeled a “troublemaker” 4 Lawyers or, in extreme circs, police may be needed The case in the news shows standard practice

Only a thorough, transparent & independent examination of events at Cambridge University can restore trust Many academics have been dismayed by the omni-shambles Attempts by senior leadership to thwart independent inquiry will cause chaos 21percent.org?p=4135

Only a thorough, transparent & independent examination of events at Cambridge University can restore trust Many academics have been dismayed by the omni-shambles Attempts by senior leadership to thwart independent inquiry will cause chaos 21percent.org?p=4135

Cambridge academics reject university’s attempt to end row over Jason Arday

Cambridge academics reject university’s attempt to end row over Jason Arday

Group calls for ‘thorough and transparent investigation’ of hiring of professor who resigned after his claims came under scrutiny The University of Cambridge has announced a review into the way it vets and hires senior academic staff in an effort to fend off external and internal criticism of its appointment of Jason Arday as a professor. But a group of Cambridge academics quickly rejected the university’s response, saying: “We strongly believe that a thorough and transparent investigation into the wider circumstances of this damaging episode is essential.” Continue reading...

theguardian.com

An allegation may be true or it may be false But, every allegation needs to be looked at

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4d ago

Having not investigated in 2023 they had a continued duty of care in 2026 and rightly did not initially through a staff member to the wolves. Go ahead and advocate for wolf-throwing if you wish.

The right response was to investigate the initial allegations in 2023 If an academic’s research methodology is inadequate, that should be addressed -- it’s part of a university’s duty of care & commitment to professional development In this case, it could have been resolved in 2023, quietly

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4d ago

2) Cambridge right initially defended a staff member rather than initially throwing a staff member to the wolves. There are dreadful people out there gratuitously hurling vile accusations at academics & calling for their sacking. As an INITIAL response, defending your staff can be duty of care. 2/3

George Holmes removed as ViceChancellor of Greater Manchester University Whistleblowers drew attention to this grifter more than a decade ago They raised concerns about management expenses, mansion loans & leadership behaviour Sackings followed www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ucu-fur...

UCU furious over Bolton ‘sackings for alleged press leaks’

Union says branch secretary and wife both deny any involvement in leaking stories

timeshighereducation.com

George Holmes removed as ViceChancellor of Greater Manchester University Whistleblowers drew attention to this grifter more than a decade ago They raised concerns about management expenses, mansion loans & leadership behaviour Sackings followed www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ucu-fur...

UCU furious over Bolton ‘sackings for alleged press leaks’

Union says branch secretary and wife both deny any involvement in leaking stories

timeshighereducation.com

Reasons why the matter became so prominent are also complex mix: 1 Some bad actors were motivated by racism 2 The press, reasonably enough, doesn't take kindly to journalists being investigated by the police for doing their job 3 It involved Cambridge, which attracts undue attention

New-Cleckit Dominie@ncdominie.bsky.social · 5d ago

I'm suspicious of anyone who has an easy take on this, because UK universities have, simultaneously, a racism problem, a grifter problem, and a problem of being bullied by outside interests, and even our good-faith reactions are strongly conditioned by which of these is most immediate to us.

Cambridge still has tenure and so academics cannot be fired except for the most extreme acts which would then become public. A large payoff seems the most likely.

Money is rarely the best solution to a problem But sometimes, it becomes the only one Cambridge needed the issue resolved swiftly & Arday needed to move on quickly There was a settlement It's possible to remove an academic with an established post at Cambridge, but it's a lengthy process

Paul Pharoah@paulpharoah.bsky.social · 5d ago

Not sure that conspiracy theories needed at this point.

Suspiciously choreographed, no? Cambridge University announces an investigation. Arday resigns. Everything unfolds with remarkable speed & precision. It raises the question: was there a behind-the-scenes legal settlement? Are we seeing the public shadow-play of a private agreement?

Cambridge announces internal investigation into Prof Arday In other news, Prof Fox will be examining the disappearance of hens from the henhouse He promises full transparency ... between mouthfuls cam.ac.uk/notices/news...

Reasons why the matter became so prominent are also complex mix: 1 Some bad actors were motivated by racism 2 The press, reasonably enough, doesn't take kindly to journalists being investigated by the police for doing their job 3 It involved Cambridge, which attracts undue attention

New-Cleckit Dominie@ncdominie.bsky.social · 5d ago

I'm suspicious of anyone who has an easy take on this, because UK universities have, simultaneously, a racism problem, a grifter problem, and a problem of being bullied by outside interests, and even our good-faith reactions are strongly conditioned by which of these is most immediate to us.

Money is rarely the best solution to a problem But sometimes, it becomes the only one Cambridge needed the issue resolved swiftly & Arday needed to move on quickly There was a settlement It's possible to remove an academic with an established post at Cambridge, but it's a lengthy process

Paul Pharoah@paulpharoah.bsky.social · 5d ago

Not sure that conspiracy theories needed at this point.

Suspiciously choreographed, no? Cambridge University announces an investigation. Arday resigns. Everything unfolds with remarkable speed & precision. It raises the question: was there a behind-the-scenes legal settlement? Are we seeing the public shadow-play of a private agreement?

Cambridge announces internal investigation into Prof Arday In other news, Prof Fox will be examining the disappearance of hens from the henhouse He promises full transparency ... between mouthfuls cam.ac.uk/notices/news...

Jack Grove contacted Cambridge's Office of Research Integrity which precipitated an investigation that found the allegations "out of scope" So, of course, Cambridge knew about the THE piece, and the allegations therein

Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺@katherineschof8.bsky.social · 6d ago

This is not true. Cambridge (nor any other university) has no such duty of care, and there is zero evidence they advised him. Indeed they have denied knowledge of the THE piece. No reason to make this bigger than it actually is.

Vice Chancellor, Prof Deborah Prentice, & Chancellor, Lord Smith, of Cambridge University have repeatedly stressed importance of freedom of speech Can we expect a clear condemnation of the setting of police on journalist from Times Higher Education? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12...

The invisible Woman Understandably, there's concern at Prof Arday's state of mind Matter is being exacerbated by refusal of Cambridge University to answer legitimate questions Institutional silence has turned a controversy into a full-blown scandal

The heart of this scandal is institutional Cambridge had a duty of care to Professor Arday. What advice was he given & by whom? Why did Carter-Ruck and the police become involved? Who made that decision, and why? These questions demand answers 21percent.org?p=4129

Vice Chancellor, Prof Deborah Prentice, & Chancellor, Lord Smith, of Cambridge University have repeatedly stressed importance of freedom of speech Can we expect a clear condemnation of the setting of police on journalist from Times Higher Education? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12...

"it's not the crime, it's the cover-up" Who set Carter-Ruck & the Metropolitan Police on Jack Grove of Times Higher Education? If Arday, he's no innocent If Cambridge University, it's worse It's corruption -- use of public money to hush up a scandal www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...

"it's not the crime, it's the cover-up" Who set Carter-Ruck & the Metropolitan Police on Jack Grove of Times Higher Education? If Arday, he's no innocent If Cambridge University, it's worse It's corruption -- use of public money to hush up a scandal www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...