Overview
- Misan Harriman has confirmed he will leave the Southbank Centre when his second term ends in the autumn and said his departure was planned before the recent controversy.
- He drew public criticism after sharing a post questioning media coverage of a Muslim victim linked to the Golders Green attacks and later quoting Susan Sontag in a way opponents said compared Reform voters to the Holocaust.
- Both the Charity Commission and the Arts Council are examining complaints about his social media activity as campaigners and politicians demanded his removal.
- The Southbank Centre says succession planning is already under way and will give further details next month while also issuing a statement that condemns antisemitism and notes board members’ legal right to free expression.
- The episode has split public opinion and raised wider questions about governance at taxpayer‑funded cultural bodies, with potential implications for trusteeship rules, public trust and future appointments depending on the outcome of the regulator reviews.