An academic dubbed "Professor Plagiarism" has been accused of falsely claiming authorship of a book, with the controversy deepening after it emerged that an aide to Labour MP Lucy Powell appointed the academic as patron of her charity last year. The revelation raises questions about the vetting carried out before the appointment and about Powell's association with the charity, given the plagiarism claims now surrounding its patron.

Limited detail is available beyond the central allegation: that the professor's authorship claim was untrue, and that the patronage appointment, made in 2025, went ahead despite issues that have since come to light. The story centres on the overlap between Powell's political office and the charity's governance, though the full circumstances of the plagiarism claims and the appointment process are not fully set out here.