The Great British PAC has put Trinity College, Cambridge, on notice. In a formal letter, our campaign has demanded to know why nobody has been brought to justice for the vandalism of a celebrated portrait of Lord Balfour earlier this year.
The letter, released publicly today, was sent by our Deputy Universities Director Jake Watts, who is himself a student at the University of Cambridge. In it he voiced “grave concern” at the decision by Cambridgeshire Constabulary to close its inquiry into the defacing of the 1914 portrait, a work by the renowned artist Philip Alexius de László.
Responsibility for the attack, which took place on 8th March 2024, was openly claimed by Palestine Action – a radical protest outfit notorious for its unlawful methods. Even though the incident was filmed and the college is covered by extensive CCTV, police said they were unable to identify a suspect.
“When a group publicly admits to defacing a piece of British heritage and the police walk away, something has gone badly wrong. Our national institutions deserve protection, not political hesitation.”
Those were the words of Jake Watts. The Great British PAC, a defender of the integrity of our academic institutions, is now weighing a private prosecution to force the issue of accountability. We have put a series of questions to Trinity College, pressing it to disclose what evidence was handed to police and whether the college itself pushed for a thorough investigation.
The correspondence also asks whether the college applied enough pressure to ensure every line of inquiry was followed.
Jake Reed, Universities Director at the Great British PAC, was equally direct:
“This isn’t just about one painting. It’s about the message we send to radicals who think violence and vandalism are acceptable in a university setting. We won’t let silence be the final word.”
Our campaign is also urging Trinity College to release any further relevant footage and to set out what it is doing to stop incidents like this from happening again.
The portrait depicts Lord Balfour, a former Prime Minister and a major figure in our national history, and is regarded as a culturally significant artefact. Its desecration has provoked anger among academics, students and the public alike.
Watts ended his letter by pledging that the Great British PAC will “pursue every legal route available” until justice is done.
