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MPs and peers accuse Miller of ‘inciting hate’

Letter says university’s "failure to act has precipitated more heartache and fear for the young Jewish people you are supposed to care for"

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G2YGFX London, UK. 4th June, 2016. David Miller, Professor of Sociology at the University of Bath and co-founder of Public Interest Investigations, addresses the PREVENT, Islamophobia and Civil Liberties National Conference 2016 at Goldsmiths, University of London. Credit: Mark Kerrison/Alamy Live News

Over 100 MPs and peers from across seven political parties have signed a letter accusing Bristol University's Professor David Miller of "inciting hatred against Jewish students".
 
The letter, sent to the university's President and Vice-Chancellor Hugh Brady, says the institution's "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."
 
It suggests Professor Miller's conduct has brought the university "into disrepute"  and Professor Brady warns: "You must now act before any further damage is done."
 
The letter was organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, with co-chairs, the MPs Andrew Percy and Catherine McKinnell and vice-chair Dr Lisa Cameron MP its lead signatories.
 
It also accuses those academics who signed the letter in support of Professor Miller of having "disgraced" their profession by signing a "factually incorrect letter."
 
Addressing the issue of free speech, the letter says that in his attacks the sociology lecturer has "framed Jewish students"  as the "pawns or tools of a foreign government."
 
Other names on the letter include Conservatives such as Baroness Altmann, Stephen Crabb MP, Tom Tugendhat MP, Christian Wakeford MP and Lord Pickles.
 
Labour parliamentarians include Lord Beecham, Lord Mendelsohn, Neil Coyle MP,  Rosie Duffield MP and the Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson.
 
Lord Palmer is amongst the Liberal Democrat signatories, while crossbench and non-affiliated peers signing the letter include Baroness Deech and Lord Austin. The Democratic Union Party's Ian Paisley MP is amongst other political party names on the list.

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