Ruth Padel resigns after smear row

The chair of Professor of Poetry at Oxford University is normally held for five years. Ruth Padel, the first woman to take up the role since its creation in 1708, has quit after only a week. She resigned on Sunday after it emerged that she had tipped off two journalists about the claims of sexual impropriety against her main rival for the role, Derek Walcott.

Walcott, 69, the St Lucia-born Nobel Laureate, was hot favourite until Oxford academics involved in the election began to receive anonymous letters about 20-year-old sexual harassment allegations, including a case brought against Walcott by a female Harvard student.

Walcott pulled out of the race, and Padel was duly elected just over a week ago. She claimed to have had nothing to do with the smear campaign.

However, it was revealed at the weekend that she had tipped off journalists about the claims against Walcott. She said: "As a result of student concern, I naively - and with hindsight unwisely - passed on to two journalists, whom I believed to be covering the whole election responsibly, information that was already in the public domain."

Although Padel insists she was not actively involved in the smear campaign and had done "nothing intentional" to lead Walcott to pull out, a number of her original backers urged her to step down once they heard about the tip-off to journalists. Among them were Melvyn Bragg, Jeremy Isaacs and A C Grayling.

Bowing to the pressure, she said: "I wish to do what is best for the university and I understand that opinion there is divided. I therefore resign from the Chair of Poetry. I hope wounds will now heal and I wish the next professor all the best." She is due to make a full statement at the Hay literary festival today.

One man who appears to have thrown his hat in the ring to replace her is the Australian-born broadcaster, polymath and poet Clive James. In an interview published in the Guardian on Monday, but conducted before Padel stood down, he was asked if he would want the job. He replied: "You know ­ and this is strictly between you and me and millions of readers ­ it's the only job I want."

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Sebastian Shakespeare and Olivia Cole, London Evening Standard: This may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with the seemingly genteel world of poetry but its reputation as being insular, bitchy and backbiting has often been deserved. As one wag observed, academic politics is so vicious and bitter because the stakes are so low.

Jeanette Winterson, novelist: It's a pity she has been backed into a corner. What she has done is so much more trivial than her contribution to poetry... It wouldn't have happened to a man. But then Oxford is a sexist little dump.

Jackie Kay, poet: This was the first time that we had a woman as Oxford professor of poetry ­ and she has had to resign over two emails. The old boys have closed in on her.

A C Grayling, professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College: I didn't think Ruth would win against Walcott. When he withdrew, I thought it was absolutely wrong and there was no way that the Oxford professorship should be run on this business of sexual harassment - it should be run on the merits of the poetry. ·