Misan Harriman is to step down as chair of the Southbank Centre after a slew of allegations of insensitivity towards the Jewish community, including claims he compared the rise of Reform UK to the conditions present prior to the Holocaust.
Harriman, who has held the position since 2021, confirmed in a social media post that he would not continue beyond autumn, saying he had planned to quit “before this madness” anyway.
“It’s semi-public knowledge that my term is coming to an end anyway … I had decided way before this madness that I was going to do two terms,” he said.
“It takes a long time to find whoever the next chair will be, and that process will begin at some point, and I’ll update you more on exact dates and timelines probably in autumn.”
He called the Southbank Centre, which is celebrating its 75th year, “a sacred 11 acres” and said he was “still very proud to be chair”.
Harriman had been urged to resign after being accused of pushing a “divisive political agenda”.
Last month, he accused the media of failing to give adequate prominence to the fact that the alleged Golders Green attacker had stabbed a Muslim man prior to attacks on two Jewish victims later in the day.
He caused further controversy following the recent local elections, when he was accused of comparing Reform UK's growing electoral success to the rise of the Nazis.
In a video posted to Instagram, the Southbank chairman said that the “first thing that came to mind” after seeing that Reform UK had gained 1,451 councillors were Susan Sontag’s reflections on the Holocaust.
He explained: “She said when thinking about the Holocaust, 10 per cent of people in any population are cruel no matter what, and 10 per cent are merciful no matter what. The other remaining 80 per cent could be moved in either direction.
“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.”
The remarks prompted a letter calling for him to resign amid claims his outspoken social media presence risked compromising the London cultural landmark.
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy revealed she had received letters from parliamentarians both condemning and supporting him, with a letter signed by peers and MPs saying there was a “smear campaign” against Harriman, seemingly aimed at whipping up a furore to engineer an ever-growing environment of cancel culture”.
But the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) was among those to welcome his departure.
A spokesperson said: “Misan Harriman has attracted scrutiny over a his record of inflammatory comments, leading to us and others questioning whether he was a suitable chair for an august arts institution that enjoys public support.
“The prime minister recently acknowledged the increasing and unwarranted intimidation faced by Jewish people in the arts and cultural spaces – which should be welcoming and inclusive to all.
"They should not be venues for exclusionary or even extremist political discourse which makes these spaces uncomfortable for Jewish attendees. That starts with the people in charge of those spaces.
“Mr Harriman’s decision to step down – supposedly always his intention – is welcome. This saga has exposed a rot in the arts world. We hope that his successor will be more worthy of the post.”
The Southbank Centre did not immediately respond when contacted.
But a spokesperson told The Guardian: “Misan confirmed with the deputy chair in January that he would not be seeking a third term and would step down in the autumn of 2026.
“Succession planning is already underway, with further details to be confirmed following our AGM in July.”
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