Jewish student groups have condemned the University of Oxford for accepting millions of pounds from the late motor racing executive Max Mosley, son of notorious fascist Oswald Mosley.
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and Oxford Jewish Society said they were “distressed” that the university and some of its colleges accepted funds from the Alexander Mosley Trust, set up by Max Mosley to distribute the inheritance he received from his father.
The trust has also made donations to Kings College London, Imperial, and UCL.
“The Mosley family name is synonymous with fascism and antisemitism in Britain,” UJS and Oxford Jsoc said in a joint statement.
“The university’s decision to dedicate a professorship to this name serves to commemorate and revere the Mosley legacy.”
The groups hit out at the university for failing to consult on the move with Oxford’s Jewish students, and encouraged university administrators to “reflect” on the impact the donations would have.
The row started after it was revealed that the university accepted £6 million from the charitable trust.
St Peter’s College and Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) also previously accepted more than £6.3 million, the Telegraph reported.
The paper said Mr Mosley signed off the accounts that confirmed the donations before his death in May.
St Peter’s College Professor emeritus fellow Lawrence Goldman said the college was guilty of a “total moral failure”, the Telegraph reported.
“The university has gone off the scale in wokery… but they go ahead and take money from a fund established by proven and known fascists.
“Its moral compass is just not working anymore. Max Mosley has been going round terrorising people and has never apologised. We shouldn’t be dealing with him.
“This is an open and shut case.”
The Alexander Mosley Trust is named after Mr Mosley’s son, an alumnus of St Peter’s college, who died of a heroin overdose in 2009.
Projects supported by the trust include the construction of new student accommodation at St Peter’s, an engineering fellowship, and two cohorts of students on the LMH foundation year.
Max Mosley himself studied at Oxford and served as secretary of the Oxford Union.
In 1961, Max Mosley served as an election agent for the Union Movement (UM), a far-right party founded by his father after the Second World War to promote European nationalism.
In 2018, the Labour Party said it would no longer accept donations from Mr Mosley following an accusation that he published a leaflet in the 1960s linking immigrants with disease.
