The Charity Commission says it is “assessing concerns” raised in the media over comments by Southbank Centre chair Misan Harriman, regarding the Golders Green attacks and May’s local council elections.
Harriman, whose allies say he is the victim of a “smear campaign”, has been chair of the arts and culture centre and registered charity’s board of governors since 2021.
He was accused by the Telegraph on 6 May of sharing a social media post containing an alleged “conspiracy” about the 29 April attacks. The post questioned the amount of press coverage given to the stabbing of a Muslim man in Southwark by Essa Suleiman, shortly before he travelled to Golders Green and attacked two Jewish men – which critics said risked minimising the antisemitic nature of the attack.
The Telegraph ran a subsequent story on 10 May accusing Harriman of comparing Reform’s success in this month’s local council elections to the Holocaust, after the photographer and activist quoted Susan Sontag in a video giving his thoughts on the outcome.
Claims Charity Commission guidance breached
“[Sontag] said, when thinking about the Holocaust, 10% of people in any population are cruel no matter what, and 10% is merciful no matter what and the other – this is important – the other remaining 80% could be moved in either direction,” Harriman said in the video. “It’s such a profound way to look at us. In the context of yesterday’s election result it is something which I think is really topical.”
On 18 May, the Times published a letter by a group of cultural figures – including Danny Cohen, the former BBC director of television, and David Kershaw, a former Southbank Centre trustee – calling on Harriman to resign in the wake of the comments.
Signatories claimed Harriman was using his public platform to make “daily interventions on social media pushing a divisive political agenda” rather than focusing on championing the Southbank Centre. They alleged he was breaching Charity Commission guidance around trustees keeping personal political views separate from the charity they represent.
Open letters and petitions defend Harriman
Harriman, who has said his remarks were clipped so as to deliberately misrepresent him, has been defended in an open letter published last week. Signed by almost 250 people including celebrities such as Riz Ahmed, David Oyelowo, Greta Thunberg and Gary Lineker, it criticised a “dishonest smear campaign” against Harriman.
The letter read: “The purpose of the smear campaign, which we repeat is entirely without foundation in fact, is to traduce and marginalise Misan… and it is intended to send a message to others that if they speak out, they will be subject to harassment and threats.”
It added: “Trying to silence responsible critics of Israel by smearing them as antisemitic does not protect Britain’s Jewish community”.
The Good Law Project, which published the letter, has launched a petition to “stand in solidarity with Misan Harriman”, since signed by more than 21,000 people.
The letter came after 96,000 people backed a campaign to lobby press regulator Ipso about the Telegraph’s coverage.
Harriman himself told The Guardian on 13 May: “We have reached the point where truth itself is being crushed by the very institutions that are supposed to uphold it.
“I will never whisper about the oppressed. I stand with truth, I stand by my right to use my voice to help others.”
‘Southbank board members have the right to freedom of expression’
A Southbank Centre spokesperson told Civil Society Media: “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.”
The Charity Commission’s spokesperson said: “We are assessing concerns raised in the media about comments made by the chair of Southbank Centre to determine if there is any regulatory role for the commission.”
