Arts chief pressed to quit over divisive agenda that likened Reform voters to Nazi supporters

Resignation Calls Intensify

Calls for Misan Harriman to resign as chairman of the Southbank Centre have grown after a series of controversial social media posts that critics say push a “divisive political agenda” and undermine the institution’s reputation. A group of prominent figures — including Danny Cohen, the former BBC director of television; the historian and author Lord Roberts of Belgravia; David Kershaw, a former Southbank Centre trustee; and Neil Blair, J.K. Rowling’s agent — have signed a letter demanding he step down, stating: “It is time for him to go.”

The signatories accuse Harriman of making “daily interventions on social media” from his public platform that they argue breach a commitment made by the Prime Minister and civil society groups to stand with the Jewish community following the recent knife attacks in Golders Green and Heaton Park. They also warn that his conduct is “hugely damaging” to the Southbank Centre’s reputation at a time when the venue is already struggling with significant financial challenges. The institution, which is London’s largest arts venue, urgently needs around £50 million for repairs to its ageing concrete buildings and is seeking £30 million from the government, with a commitment to raise the remaining £20 million through philanthropy. Its core funding from Arts Council England covers artistic programming, not capital upkeep, and the pandemic further eroded income.

Harriman’s Comments Under Scrutiny

The controversy centres on two specific sets of remarks made by Harriman. The first relates to the Golders Green knife attack in which a man was stabbed. Harriman appeared to suggest there was a media “conspiracy” to focus attention on the Jewish victims while ignoring a third victim, a Muslim man named Ishmail Hussein, who was allegedly stabbed by the same attacker earlier that day. Critics accused him of promoting “conspiracies” and diminishing the antisemitic nature of the attack.

The second, and more inflammatory, set of comments concerned Reform UK voters. In an Instagram video posted after recent local election results, Harriman described the party’s growing electoral success as “a warning”. He referenced a historical conversation between Holocaust survivor Susan Sontag and writer Kurt Vonnegut, in which Sontag observed that roughly 10 per cent of any population is consistently cruel, 10 per cent merciful, and the majority can be swayed in either direction. Harriman characterised this as “really topical” given the election outcomes. He added that Reform voters were “not devils” but had been influenced by “certain newspapers” and “certain charlatans”.

Those remarks drew fierce criticism from Jewish organisations and senior political figures. Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman, branded the comparison “disgusting” and said Harriman “should be nowhere near a taxpayer-funded organisation”. Fiona Sharpe of Labour Against Antisemitism called the comments “abhorrent”, arguing that to diminish “the systematic state-sponsored murder of six million Jews, just for being Jews, in this particular climate in Britain” was unacceptable. Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, described the comparison as “shocking”.

Harriman has denied making a direct Nazi comparison, insisting his remarks were taken out of context and that he was discussing general human behaviour and community building. He has also said “truth itself is being crushed by the very institutions that are supposed to uphold it”.

Supporters have rallied to his defence. More than 80,000 complaints have been filed against right-wing newspapers for their coverage, which his supporters describe as a “smear campaign”. A separate letter signed by over 250 celebrities — including Gary Lineker, Louis Theroux, Annie Lennox, Greta Thunberg and Mark Ruffalo — argues that public figures should not be silenced and that efforts to delegitimise people speaking about anti-Muslim hatred risk “deepening division”.

Harriman, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and photographer, has chaired the Southbank Centre since July 2021. He is known for documenting social issues and for his activism on diversity, inclusion and mental health.

Southbank Centre’s Response

A spokesman for the Southbank Centre said: “The Southbank Centre is an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone including our artists, audience and all colleagues. The Southbank Centre condemns all forms of antisemitism, hatred and discrimination. All Southbank Centre board members, including the chair, have the right to exercise their freedom of expression within the law. The personal views of individual members of our board do not represent the views of the Southbank Centre and in no way affect our programming nor the welcome that we extend to all.”