Dr James Orr, Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, has been appointed as a senior adviser to Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK.

The Professor, condemned by Cambridge students and staff in 2023 for allegedly making “racist and derogatory” comments, will oversee talent recruitment for the party, as well as building a wider and stronger network of party supporters.

Zia Yusuf, Chairman of Reform July 2024-June 2025, posted on X, which Orr reposted: “James is now a senior member of our team, a senior adviser to Nigel Farage and he will bring even more talented patriots to the Reform family.”

Orr is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and teaches multiple tripos papers in the Faculty of Divinity.

Green Party Leader Zack Polanski said about the appointment: “Reform UK’s decision to welcome James Orr as a senior adviser to Nigel Farage is further evidence that Farage is embracing dangerous and divisive right wing ideology.

“By choosing someone close to JD Vance to be by his side - someone who describes asylum seekers as ‘invaders’ and someone who is anti abortion - he is signalling that Reform UK have nothing to offer but fuel for divisive, inflammatory politics.”

Orr is hard-line anti-abortion, publicly opposing abortion even in cases of rape and incest, and has publicly described asylum seekers as “invaders”.

Moreover, he also has a close relationship with Vice-President JD Vance, described by Vance as his “British sherpa,” prompting concerns that Orr’s appointment signals Reform taking a further turn toward the political ideologies of Donald Trump’s Republican party.

The Associate Professor is a controversial figure at Cambridge, and has been subject to multiple rounds of criticism from staff and students for inflammatory comments.

In October 2023, Orr was criticised for his response to a video of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London. The video showed Muslim protesters praying, to which Orr stated in response: “Import the Arab World, become the Arab World”.

At the time, Cahir O’Kane, Professor of Genetics at Cambridge, called his comment “racist” and “derogatory”.

An anonymous member of the Divinity Faculty told Varsity at the time: “It is unthinkable that Orr can continue to enjoy the confidence of students and colleagues to teach, examine and collaborate without discrimination”.

In May 2023, Orr played a leading role in hosting the National Conservatism Conference in the UK, a Conference organised by the Edmund Burke Foundation, a right-wing think tank which Orr was at the time, and remains, UK Chairman of.

Cambridge University Labour Club told Varsity: “James Orr’s vile politics and connections to JD Vance are well known and therefore his decision to join Reform is unsurprising. We hope he will spend more time with Farage’s billionaire donors and less time at Cambridge University.”

James Orr was contacted for comment.