Alan Lester Conservative leadership contenders often say outrageous things as they vie for the support of the ‘Tory “selectorate’. Kemi Badenoch appreciated quickly that adopting an outraged blocking stance on a conversation about looming Commonwealth reparations claims was attractive to the party faithful. She got off the starting blocks in May, promoting the absurd notion that Britain had never profited from slavery. Compensating for a later start, Robert Jenrick has pushed the historical revisionism further, using the Daily Mail’s platform to suggest that those on the receiving end of slavery and colonial exploitation should thank Britain for it. He seems […]
On 15th September I’ll be in conversation with David Olusoga at the Royal Geographical Society, about the importance of insisting on the realities of the British Empire in the middle of a culture war, and the importance of historians amid the resurgence of nationalism. Do come along!
A review of the Institute of Economic Affairs’ Imperial Measurement: a cost-benefit analysis of Western colonialism https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2024/06/05/cooking-the-books-understanding-the-character-of-the-british-empire/
https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/05/26/what-the-crown-jewels-reveal-about-britains-colonial-past “Modern attitudes towards the legacy of colonialism are shifting. Younger Britons are more sceptical than their parents about their country’s role in world history. And as historians scrutinise sources from former colonies, hard truths about Britain’s historical empire are emerging. People are eager to know more. Community groups who were consulted during research for the exhibition said they wanted to learn about the Koh-i-Noor and Cullinan diamonds, explains Mr Farris. In a similar vein, many Western museums are becoming increasingly transparent about contested objects in their collections. Yet even this retain and explain policy can meet resistance. Professor Lester […]
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKWgZLYhBI&ab_channel=WarStudiesKCL
https://www.sunpub.info/deny-and-disavow
One of the Brexit populists’ most successful political strategies, played out in the recent Tory leadership contest, has been culture war: an assault on reformist and liberal agendas including anti-racism, that are now condemned as “woke”. With Suella Braverman Priti…
