‘Sexist’ Starkey axed from Cambridge video
University acts after staff claim TV historian is racist
CAMBRIDGE University has been branded cowardly for deleting David Starkey from a promotional video after staff claimed he was racist.
The television historian had been given a starring role in the short film, which featured famous alumni discussing the benefits of the university.
But he was edited out after a group of academics lobbied to have him removed for his ‘racist, sexist and classist’ views.
Dr Starkey, an honorary fellow of Fitzwilliam College, said he would accept the university’s decision but warned it could raise questions over academic freedom.
Fellow academics accused the university of weakness for giving in to the demands of protesters and warned it would have a chilling effect on freedom of speech.
Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: ‘It was very cowardly. It indicates that if you have controversial views, you risk being marginalised and shut down.’
Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, said: ‘We want people who will clearly speak the truth as they see it. David Starkey is one of these people. There’s a weakness now in intellectual life where people are always looking out to take offence.
‘The point about higher education is to be able to assess the truth of statements and if they are wrong defeat them by argument, not seek to ban the person.’
Dr Starkey originally fronted a three-minute video which featured other Cambridge alumni including Professor Stephen Hawking, Sir Ian McKellen and the model Lily Cole. But several members of staff in the English department at King’s College circulated an open letter condemning his role.
The authors cited an appearance by the historian on BBC2’s Newsnight in 2011 when he referred to Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech as being right ‘in one sense’, and said of gang culture: ‘The whites have become black.’
Hundreds of staff and students signed a petition calling on the unipendent: versity to drop Dr Starkey from the video. They were backed by Cambridge University Students’ Union.
Dr Malachi McIntosh, director of studies in English at King’s College and one of the letter’s authors, said: ‘David Starkey is widely known for his racist, sexist and classist comments and because of that does not represent a community composed of people from all places and walks of life.’
Dr Starkey had told the Inde- ‘I was asked to contribute by the university, which I love, and to which I owe a profound debt. The university will decide what is right, proper and expedient. I shall be happy to accept that decision.
‘Of course, if it raises any question about the nature of academic inquiry and academic freedom, I shall reserve the right to comment freely but without recrimination.’
After he was removed from the video, his spokesman added: ‘David Starkey is still grieving for the death of his partner of 21 years... he has no comment to make.’
Yesterday, the university said the film had been replaced online with another of prominent alumni and academics. It added: ‘It was always our intention that the video would be replaced with a new video, however it was taken down early as a number of people who took part expressed their concerns.
‘David Starkey is a prominent historian who studied at Cambridge. He was one of a number of alumni who wished to participate in the film to demonstrate their gratitude and commitment to Cambridge.
‘We appreciate that he... has made controversial statements in the past. However, in the video, he was representing his affection for the university and its values.’
‘Issue of academic freedom’