Operation Black Vote Stands With Lord Simon Woolley

What is happening to Lord Simon Woolley should concern us all. Coming so soon after the death of Professor Jason Arday, and after Simon was one of those demanding answers about what happened to him, we are now watching some of the same narratives about competence, merit and legitimacy being turned on Simon.

We cannot simply look away.

Operation Black Vote stands with Simon, our co-founder and first Director. We know him, we know his record and we know what he has achieved. For more than three decades he has strengthened British democracy, widened political participation and opened doors through which countless others have walked.

He is more than qualified to lead Homerton College and his record since becoming Principal demonstrates that his contribution extends well beyond questions of diversity, encompassing the leadership, profile, values and wider life of the College.

Simon has inspired students and future leaders across ethnic and social backgrounds and helped take Homerton's voice and relationships far beyond Cambridge. The suggestion that someone with his experience and achievements somehow lacks the merit to occupy this position is not only wrong; it exposes a much bigger problem about how merit is being defined when it comes to Black people.

Of course, Simon can be scrutinised – he would be amongst the first to say that. But scrutiny cannot mean that a Black person reaches the top only to have their fundamental right to be there continually placed on trial. The “best person for the job” should always be the objective, but in modern Britain that must include the ability to lead diverse people, understand changing communities, build trust, innovate and connect institutions to the world around them.

These are not DEI concessions. These are business-critical, leadership capabilities.

That is why Andrew Gilligan’s questioning of Simon’s suitability to lead Homerton College concerns us and so many other people. Journalists are entitled to scrutinise those in public life, but they are not themselves beyond scrutiny including of their own record, judgement and the arguments and voices they choose to give credibility to. Accountability cannot operate in only one direction - he too must accept scrutiny.

His reporting involving Dr David Kelly, who later took his own life, became central to the Hutton Inquiry. Following the Inquiry’s serious criticism of aspects of that reporting, Gilligan resigned from the BBC, acknowledging that mistakes had been made and that parts of his story were wrong. His extensive reporting of Lee Jasper, another of OBV’s co-founders, also involved allegations that were subsequently found to be unfounded.

We mention this not to reopen old disputes, but because judgement matters. Those who exercise considerable power in questioning the credibility and fitness of others cannot reasonably insist that their own record and judgement are irrelevant.

And our concern goes far beyond one journalist. What we are witnessing internationally, particularly the increasingly aggressive assault on DEI in the United States, is emboldening arguments here that portray diversity and black people in leadership as the enemy of merit. This is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated but there is a real danger that attitudes we once believed Britain was moving beyond are becoming normalised again.

Indeed, Black people at different levels in organisations are telling us that they are now feeling even more exposed, that their competence is being questioned and being made to feel they are “DEI appointments” rather than people who earned their positions.

This is unjust, and it poses a very simple question: if this is what Black people can expect when they step forward to lead, why should the next generation want to do it?

That question goes to the heart of Operation Black Vote. Our noble cause for 30 years has been to inspire people to participate, lead and believe that they can help shape this country. We cannot do that whilst standing silently by as people who have stepped forward are made to pay an unacceptable personal price. If someone with Lord Simon Woolley's record can have his basic legitimacy questioned in this way, people will understandably ask: who is next?

This is no longer something that can be answered with warm words about diversity and equality. Fundamentally the normalisation of racism and the growing willingness to question the legitimacy of Black people in positions of authority represents one of the most serious threats to the inclusive democracy Britain needs. It weakens institutions, wastes talent, increases division and hatred and ultimately makes our country poorer.

The Prime Minister must now act.

He has spoken about ethical and values-based leadership. This is a moment when those values must mean something in practice. But this responsibility does not rest with Government alone. Leaders across academia, local government, the NHS, business, media and every major institution need to decide what kind of leadership culture they are prepared to defend.

Failure to act will not preserve standards; it will lower them, driving talented people away from leadership and leaving Britain less capable, less confident and less able to meet the challenges ahead.

For OBV this is also personal.

Simon's journey into national leadership began with us.

He is part of our history and as such we have an added responsibility to speak and act now.

We will not stand by and watch this become normal.

Operation Black Vote

‍