Philip Murphy (Letters, 8 January) speculates that I “sexed-up” the aims of the “Ethics and Empire” project after reactions to my 30 November article on colonialism in the Times, “in order to suit a rightwing news agenda”. He goes on to wonder whether this embarrassed my colleague, John Darwin, into resigning. The truth of the matter is not nearly so exciting. The project was launched with a conference in July. After months of distraction, I finally got around to posting a description of it on the McDonald Centre’s website in early December. The text of the notice was identical to that which John and I had agreed 12 months earlier for other purposes – apart from some additional information about the July event. The reasons that John gave for resigning on 18 December were emphatically personal. Other people have confirmed that. I believe it. There is, of course, no end to the invention of conspiracy theories, and those with an ill will cannot be stopped from inventing them. But I can do no more to reassure Professor Murphy and others “who care about the integrity of Oxford scholarship” – unless, that is, he would like to come and inspect my email correspondence.

Professor Nigel Biggar

Director, McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life, University of Oxford

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