Universities have shown “grave cowardice”over dealing with anti-Semitism, the Government’s Holocaust envoy has said, as he warns that inaction could lead to new legislation.

Sir Eric Pickles, who is the UK’s special envoy on post-Holocaust issues and a former Conservative Party chairman, said that universities have long “turned a blind eye” to the issue of hostility towards Jews on campus, adding that they must start to “show a bit of gumption”.

His comments came as Jo Johnson, the universities minister, urged academic institutions to “act swiftly” to investigate claims of anti-Semitism and other hate crimes.