Tony Sewell blasts Nottingham university ‘cowards’ for withdrawing his honorary degree
Race tsar Tony Sewell whose report found Britain was not institutionally racist blasts Nottingham university ‘cowards’ for withdrawing his honorary degree
Nottingham University offered Tony Sewell an honorary degree in late 2019But withdrew it after his report said no evidence Britain is institutionally racistThey said this was due to him becoming a ‘subject of political controversy’The Government is expected to publish its reponse to the report this week
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The author of a race report has accused a university of cowardice after it withdrew its offer to award him an honorary degree.
Dr Tony Sewell, who runs a charity helping black children get into higher education, wrote a major study for Boris Johnson which concluded that Britain’s multi-racial society was a model to the world.
Although the report said that Britain was not yet a ‘post-racial society’, it found no evidence that the UK was institutionally racist.
The review, which was published last March, sparked an extraordinary culture row – with lobby groups branding it a ‘whitewash’.
Nottingham University had decided to offer Dr Sewell an honorary degree in late 2019 – before the publication of the report.
But in December they told him this had been withdrawn because he had become the ‘subject of political controversy’.
Later this week, the Government is expected to publish its longawaited response to the report and Dr Sewell is hopeful they will accept many of his recommendations.
Dr Tony Sewell, who runs a charity helping black children get into higher education, wrote a major study for Boris Johnson which concluded that Britain’s multi-racial society was a model to the world
Nottingham University had decided to offer Dr Sewell an honorary degree in late 2019 – before the publication of the report. But in December they told him this had been withdrawn because he had become the ‘subject of political controversy’
In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said: ‘This is going to be life-changing for ethnic minorities and I just feel positive that we’ve been able to change the world.’
But he accused lobby groups who dismissed the report without reading it as hating ‘black success’, adding: ‘Some groups feel they can tell black people how to be black and in effect indulging a form of racism by doing that.’
Dr Sewell, founder of the Generating Genius charity, also took aim at universities – saying they were stifling free speech ‘like the Soviet Union’.
He added: ‘I have helped thousands of black children from poor backgrounds to get into universities. I’m a one-man levelling-upper.
‘But [Nottingham University] said it would no longer be appropriate to award me the degree because they didn’t want to offend the students at an award ceremony. How can you offend students with a report which says the equalities watchdog should have more power, that stop and search should be improved and that we need to get more people from ethnic minorities into university?’
Referencing disgraced entertainers R Kelly and Bill Cosby, Dr Sewell continued: ‘These are the type of people you decide to withdraw honours from. But they [the university] have acted like cowards, subject to lobbying groups.
‘I thought the work of a university was to deal with complex issues? [But] universities in England are like the Soviet Union. There is no free speech.’
Later this week, the Government is expected to publish its longawaited response to the report and Dr Sewell is hopeful they will accept many of his recommendations. Pictured: Boris Johnson and Dr Sewell in No 10
Nottingham University is no stranger to ‘woke’ controversy.
It operates a ‘content warning’ policy that orders lecturers to warn students if modules reference any of 26 ‘traumatic’ subjects including classism, transphobia and photos of blood.
In 2020, a midwifery undergraduate lost a placement after a lecturer claimed her anti-abortion views made her unfit to practice.
The university later apologised and paid a settlement to the student.
Dr Sewell also accused some media outlets of ‘reworking the narrative’ when covering his report, adding that some of the commissioners who worked on it had come under ‘unfair attack’.
‘When [critics] see what is going to come out of this, they will see they have shot themselves in the foot,’ he added.
A University of Nottingham spokesperson said: ‘The University has strict criteria governing the award of honorary degrees, as these are conferred at our public graduation ceremonies.
‘The criteria preclude us from awarding them to figures who become the subject of political controversy.
‘Since making the decision to confer an honorary degree in late 2019, the University’s Honorary Degrees Committee noted that Mr Sewell became the subject of political controversy during 2021, and as such determined it would no longer be appropriate to award the degree.
‘In withdrawing the offer, the University is categorically not making any judgement on Mr Sewell personally or expressing a view on his work. It is simply about ensuring that we apply the same criteria to all of those we consider for the accolade of an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham.
‘We fully appreciate that was disappointing news and last December we offered Mr Sewell a sincere apology alongside an explanation for the decision. He remains a notable alumnus of the University, and it is deeply unfortunate that we have had to withdraw the offer.’
