Ex MP running for education role ‘would look at unis that have not adopted IHRA’
search

The latest Jewish News

Read this week’s digital edition

Click Here

Ex MP running for education role ‘would look at unis that have not adopted IHRA’

James Wharton, the government's preferred choice to be next chair of the Office for Students, urged higher education bodies to back the international antisemitism definition

James Wharton 

(Wikipedia/Source	https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/28109086290/
Author	DFID - UK Department for International Development / Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode)
James Wharton (Wikipedia/Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/28109086290/ Author DFID - UK Department for International Development / Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode)

The Government’s preferred candidate for the role of Chair of the Office for Students has said he “would look at those universities that have not” adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The comments were made by James Wharton, a former Tory MP in the north-east who acted as campaign manager for Boris Johnson’s successful party leadership bid in 2019 and was consequently ennobled last year, becoming Lord Wharton of Yarm.

He made his position clear during House of Commons questions from the Home Affairs Education Committee last week regarding the pending appointment of the chair of the Office for Students.

Universities are independent legal entities with a duty to uphold free speech, which opponents of the IHRA definition say is impacted by some of the working examples relating to Israel in the definition.

“Free speech does not mean inappropriate speech, hate speech or things that make people legitimately feel excluded,” said Wharton, adding that this was “a space in which the regulator should be active”.

Fellow Conservative MP Christian Wakeford raised the issue of IHRA adoption in universities, citing a campaign by the Union of Jewish Students, and asked the candidate what he planned to do. “I am very familiar with the IHRA definition of antisemitism,” Wharton said.

“I will be quite honest: I do not understand why any university would not have adopted it, and I would want to look at those universities that have not, particularly given the very strong steer that they have had from the Government.”

Noting how the Office for Students had supported IHRA adoption, he said: “There is a real question to be asked where it has not been adopted, because I do not think that free speech includes hate speech.

“Once it is adopted – actually, regardless of whether it is adopted – clearly any instances of antisemitic behaviour are entirely unacceptable and would need to be addressed. It is appropriate for a regulator to have concern for that, as it is part of the overall student experience.

“Respecting the autonomy of universities and other higher education institutions does not include the autonomy to allow things to happen in their environments that would conflict with IHRA and with other equalities issues and discrimination issues.

“I can give you a strong indication that this is an issue that I am familiar with and care about, and I want to see more done in the area. That is what I intend to look at.”

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.

You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.

100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...

Engaging

Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.

Celebrating

There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.

Pioneering

In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.

Campaigning

Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.

Easy access

In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.

Voice of our community to wider society

The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.

We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.

read more: