The chairman of the Southbank Centre, Misan Harriman, has been accused of drawing a comparison between supporters of the Reform UK party and Nazi sympathisers. Harriman, who is known to be a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, described the rising popularity of Nigel Farage's party as a warning sign.
Controversial Instagram Post
In a video clip shared on Instagram, Harriman referenced a conversation between Holocaust survivor Susan Sontag and American author Kurt Vonnegut concerning the ascent of the Nazis in 1930s Germany. Sontag had stated: 'Some 10 per cent of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10 per cent is merciful, no matter what, and the remaining 80 per cent can be moved in either direction.' Harriman remarked that this observation was particularly relevant given the outcomes of recent local elections.
He continued: 'The surge of Reform is real. It is a surge, and it should be a warning and a rallying call at the same time. We all have to have discussions, and with many people who voted for Reform. They're not devils, they've been just reading certain newspapers, listening to certain charlatans.'
Harriman also mentioned Glenn Gibbins, a newly elected Reform councillor who was suspended over the weekend for tweets from 2024 suggesting that Nigerians in Sunderland should be 'melted down to fill in the potholes'. Darren Grimes, the Reform deputy leader of Durham County Council, acknowledged that there had been 'a failure of the vetting process'.
Backlash and Support
Criticism of Harriman was swift. Fiona Sharpe of Labour Against Antisemitism called for his removal from his role at the Southbank Centre, stating: 'Whatever his political views are, to diminish the systematic state sponsored murder of six million Jews, just for being Jews, in this particular climate in Britain, is abhorrent.' Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, added: 'This is shocking. Whatever one's political view, how on earth could yesterday's election results ever be comparable to the Holocaust – the mechanised state sponsored murder of six million Jews by Nazis and their collaborators?'
Reform's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick condemned the comparison as 'disgusting' and called Harriman a 'crass moron' who should not be associated with a taxpayer-funded organisation.
However, Harriman also received support. Faiza Shaheen, executive director of Tax Justice UK, expressed 'absolute solidarity' with him. Podcaster and former Sunday Telegraph deputy editor Matt d'Ancona described the calls for Harriman's resignation as 'disgusting', asserting that 'the ability of people to be able to say what they think is more important than anything else.'
Harriman's Defence
Harriman defended his comments, claiming they had been taken out of context. He explained: 'I use a quote from a conversation with Kurt Vonnegut and Susan Sontag, in which she discusses human behaviour after studying the Holocaust. In that context, I talk about human behaviour and how we can build community in the lead-up to the next general election.'
The Southbank Centre, London's largest arts venue and home to the Royal Festival Hall, recently received £10 million from Arts Council England. A spokesperson stated: 'The Southbank Centre condemns all forms of anti-Semitism, hatred and discrimination. The personal views of individual members of our board do not represent the views of the Southbank Centre.'
