Greta Thunberg joins 245 signatories defending Misan Harriman
Greta Thunberg and Gary Lineker were among more than 245 people who signed an open letter defending Misan Harriman after criticism of his comments about Golders Green and Reform voters. Harriman, who has chaired the Southbank Centre’s board of governors since 2021, faced accusations over a social media repost and a video about Reform’s local election results.
The letter said the criticism had become a smear campaign and argued that it was being used to silence people who challenge Israel. It also came after 53,000 people backed a campaign to lobby the press regulator Ipso about the coverage, widening the dispute beyond one social media post.
Greta Thunberg backs the letter
Thunberg, Tracey Emin and Gary Lineker signed the letter, along with Riz Ahmed, David Oyelowo, Benjamin Moser, Morgan Spector and Jillian Edelstein. The signatories said: "The purpose of the smear campaign, which we repeat, is entirely without foundation in fact, is to traduce and marginalise Misan" and added: "And it is intended to send a message to others that if they speak out, they will be subject to harassment and threats."
They also wrote that "trying to silence responsible critics of Israel by smearing them as antisemitic does not protect Britain’s Jewish community". That language put the signatories squarely against the criticism that Harriman’s posts crossed a line, while also setting out their own view of how the public debate has been framed.
Southbank Centre board under scrutiny
The Telegraph accused Harriman of promoting Golders Green attack conspiracies and said he shared a post questioning the amount of coverage given to the Muslim victim, Ishmail Hussein. Critics said that repost risked minimising the antisemitic nature of the attack, and David Taylor said the posts were inappropriate for the chair of a charity board and for anyone in the public eye.
The Telegraph also ran the headline "Southbank Centre chief ‘compares Reform victory to Holocaust’" after Harriman quoted Susan Sontag in a video about Reform’s historic local election results. Harriman said that in thinking about the Holocaust, 10% of people in any population are cruel, 10% are merciful and the remaining 80% could be moved in either direction.
Harriman’s response after the backlash
Karen Pollock criticised Harriman and asked how yesterday’s election results could be comparable to the Holocaust. Robert Jenrick called Harriman’s post disgusting and called for him to be removed from his position at the Southbank Centre, sharpening pressure on the institution’s governing board.
Harriman told that he would never whisper about the oppressed and that he stands with truth. "We have reached the point where truth itself is being crushed by the very institutions that are supposed to uphold it. I will never whisper about the oppressed. I stand with truth, I stand by my right to use my voice to help others," he said, leaving the argument to turn on whether his comments were a legitimate critique or a misuse of his role.
The dispute now sits between a public campaign of support, a separate complaint drive to Ipso and growing pressure on the Southbank Centre chair. With more than 245 signatories already on the letter, the practical next step is whether the criticism fades or whether further public responses force the institution to confront it directly.
