Leeds University professor hits back after being labelled 'useful idiot' for Putin in Parliament

Ray Bush, Professor Emeritus in African Studies and Development Politics, tweeted to his 900 followers on March 10: "#US says #Russia comment that Washington has #chemicalwarfare installations in #Ukraine is a lie - who would we believe about that? #Syria #Iraq etc #Imperialism."

The comments were highlighted in a LBC investigation into comments by British academics that are allegedly seen as supportive of Putin and Russia.

In Parliament on Monday, chairman of the Commons Education Committee Robert Halfon said that the investigation by LBC had exposed "pro-Putinist propaganda at some of our leading universities".

Mr Halfon said: "At Leeds, Professor Ray Bush, still publicly listed on its website despite retiring, suggested that the US had chemical installations in Ukraine."

He added: "At Edinburgh, Professor Tim Hayward retweeted a Russian representative to the UN describing the attack on Mariupol’s hospital as “fake news”. At Leicester, Tom McCormack talks about “ludicrous disinformation” on both sides and boasts about appearing on Russia Today. Will my right hon. Friend contact these universities directly to stop them acting as useful idiots for President Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine?"

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi responded: "I am grateful to the Chair of the Education Committee for raising this issue. The Minister for Higher and Further Education is already on the case and is contacting those universities. Putin and his cronies are a malign influence on anyone in this country buying their false narrative. I repeat: it is a false and dangerous narrative and we will crack down on it hard."

But Mr Bush has now told the PA news agency he was "shocked that anything I have tweeted could be interpreted as 'pro-Putinist'".

"I am also very concerned that academics who raise questions and concerns about public policy including the veracity of US intelligence would be smeared as 'useful idiots'," he added.

"We know what the consequences of US and UK interventions were in Iraq and Afghanistan and the failures of Nato in Libya with an outcome of lawlessness and refugee crises, among other things."

"For the record I oppose the war in Ukraine and its horrendous consequences," he said.

Prof Hayward, who specialises in environmental political theory, said he was tweeting in a personal capacity and that he did not "retweet but quote-tweeted".

He said he did not endorse the "categorical fake news allegation" and that he quote-tweeted many people who he disagreed with.

"I recognise propaganda can abound on all sides. I am not pro-Russia and emphatically not pro-Putin," he said.

"For all that, though, having learned lessons from Iraq WMD [weapons of mass destruction] lies and others since, I believe that citizens should keep a watchful eye on information that can be used to escalate tensions and war. I have not repeated any narrative," he added.

He asked "why a quote-tweet from a pretty obscure chap in Edinburgh is worthy of such attention".

A University of Leeds spokesperson said: “The University of Leeds condemns in the strongest possible terms the abhorrent wave of violence unleashed by the Russian government through its invasion of Ukraine. We made this clear to our entire University community in a statement issued last week.”

The university did not wish to comment on whether it has been contacted by Government in regard to Mr Bush's remarks.

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