Letters

Letter to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh about Sir Geoff Palmer branding two senior Edinburgh academics “racist”

Summary

We have written to Professor Peter Mathieson, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh, to complain about the University’s inadequate defence of Professor Emeritus Sir Tom Devine and Jonathan Hearn, Professor of Historical Sociology, both of whom have been smeared as “racists” by Sir Geoff Palmer, Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University and Chair of the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Group. Sir Geoff’s comments were in response to criticisms raised about the work of the Legacy Review Group. You can read about the controversy here.

Below, you can see our original letter and the reply we received from Professor Peter Mathieson on 26th January 2022.

UPDATE: We received a reply from Professor Peter Mathieson on 26th January 2022. You can read the full text of his letter below.