Welsh politicians backed discredited antisemitism allegations against professor who was sacked

Martin Shipton

UK Cabinet Minister Sir Chris Bryant and Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville-Roberts are among a number of current and former politicians whose now discredited allegations of antisemitism led to the dismissal of a university professor.

Earlier this week Bristol University lost its appeal after an employment tribunal ruled that it discriminated against Professor David Miller by sacking him over his anti-Zionist views and criticism of Israel.

Prof Miller was dismissed by the University of Bristol in October 2021 on the grounds that he “did not meet the [university’s] standards of behaviour”.

He successfully appealed against his sacking in 2024 and claimed unfair dismissal, breach of contract and discrimination or victimisation on the grounds of religion or belief.

Miller, who worked at the university as a professor of political sociology, attracted criticism for what was described at the time as a “false, vile… antisemitic slur” in a lecture in 2019.

He made further comments against Zionism at a Campaign for Free Speech event in 2021 and was also criticised by the Bristol Jewish Society.

He later called some Jewish student groups “political lobby groups” and described Jewish students at British universities as “political pawns by a violent, racist foreign regime engaged in ethnic cleansing”.

In a subsequent email to a student journalist, he said Zionism “has no place in any society” with the comments leading to the disciplinary process.

A tribunal held in 2024 found the professor’s former employers discriminated against him based on his anti-Zionist beliefs and that he was wrongfully and unfairly dismissed.

It also found that the amount of compensation he should receive – which is yet to be determined – should be halved because of the “contributory fault” of Miller to his own dismissal, based on comments he made about Jewish students and student groups.

The university appealed against the findings and told EAT that his anti-Zionist beliefs were political and therefore not protected under the Equality Act.

It also argued that the tribunal had wrongly upheld Miller’s unfair dismissal claim and that his “contributory fault” should have seen his compensation reduced by 100%.

In a ruling earlier, Lord Fairley, the president of the tribunal, dismissed most of the university’s appeal.

He said he saw “no good reason why the beliefs relied upon by the claimant in this case should be excluded from protection simply because they related to an issue of social importance which might, broadly, also be categorised as ‘political’.”

The 50% cut in Miller’s compensation was maintained.

Miller, who is now seeking reinstatement to his former role, said: “For years, the University of Bristol capitulated to an intimidation campaign by genocidal Zionist groups to criminalise my sociological research.

“The court has made it clear: universities ‘ought to be prepared to face and to weather criticism and reputational damage which flows from the exercise by its academics of their rights to speak and think freely and lawfully’.

“The court has also declared that it is clear, coherent and legitimate to describe Zionism as racist, colonial and imperialist. Zionist claims to the contrary have been comprehensively rebuffed.”

Supporters of Miller are now calling on those politicians who signed a letter in 2021 calling on Bristol University to take action against Miller to apologise to him.

‘Race hatred’

In the letter to Prof Hugh Brady, the then Vice Chancellor of Bristol University, the politicians stated: “The All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism recently wrote to you, as it had two years prior, to register our concern about the University of Bristol’s employee, Prof David Miller, who in our opinion has been inciting race hatred against Jewish students on your campus.

“Since that letter, your failure to act has precipitated more heartache and fear for the young Jewish people you are supposed to care for, and others across the country.

“Hundreds of academics have, in our opinion, disgraced your profession, shaming themselves by signing a factually inaccurate letter supporting a man who has undermined the safety and security of Jewish students under the pretence of free speech.

“We the undersigned wish you to know that we stand against hatred. We want the young Jewish people at your institution and across the country to know that we do not accept this behaviour.

“We know hate speech when we see it and we will stand together with them to protect and salute the honour, dignity and decency they embody and with which they have been conducting themselves.

“Prof Miller has brought your university into disrepute. You must now act before any further damage is done.”

The Welsh politicians who signed the letter were Welsh Labour MPs Sir Chris Bryant – recently appointed by Andy Burnham as Northern Ireland Secretary – Anna McMorrin and Tonia Antoniazzi, as well as former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock and Lord Peter Mandelson.

Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts signed the letter, as did former Welsh Conservative MPs Alun Cairns, Stephen Crabb and Rob Roberts.

We asked Ms Saville-Roberts, Sir Chris Bryant, Anna McMorrin and Tonia Antoniazzi whether they would be apologising to Dr Miller, but none responded.

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