The British Empire. It can sometimes be hard to imagine that this tiny island once ruled a quarter of the surface of the world. But it did. Whereas it may have brought multicultural aspects to the UK, it was far from a positive thing. Atrocities took place in our conquest of the empire, atrocities that we, as a nation on the whole, refuse to talk about.
That’s bad enough. But then along come men like Robert Jenrick. Politicians who spout distorted and dangerous misinformation about such topics. Misinformation like the former colonies of the British Empire owe the UK a “debt of gratitude”. No Jenrick, no they don’t.
What’s this all about?
During a time when discussions about slavery reparations are being called for from the UK Government, a former contender for the leadership of the Conservative Party has taken it upon himself to take the stance that the former colonies of Britain owe the nation a “debt of gratitude” for their democratic institutions and the “inheritance” we left them.
So, a debt of gratitude? That’s what is owed to us. As a citizen of Great Britain itself who was born after the empire ended, I can’t speak for those who lived under colonial rule but may I hazard a guess as to the fact that this sentiment is not shared? That the former colonies of Britain do not feel gratitude given the atrocities, enslavement and brutal exploitation to name but a few things?
Once again, Robert Jenrick outdoes himself in his skewed worldview going from his appalling comments at the time of the riots to an ignorant and dangerous stance on colonialism.
Dangerous attitudes towards colonialism
This, to me, represents the latest in a long line. For I hear colonialism being touted in politics a lot these days and in very inappropriate ways.
Whether it’s a few nationalists north of the border flippantly choosing to claim Scotland is currently a colony due to its membership of the United Kingdom or right-wing politicians claiming former colonies owe a debt of gratitude for the suffering and hardship inflicted on them by colonial Britain, a worrying trend is emerging.
People in politics are playing fast and loose with the term colonialism and, as a result, history risks being diluted and muddied. We are not taught our past as we should be in schools and as a result, we don’t have all the knowledge of our role in these horrific events. But ignorant and flippant comments like those are dangerous as they go further to instil an attitude of ‘so what’ to the historical hardship and suffering of others.
Labour councillor Zainab Asunramu said that these comments show Jenrick to be unfit to be leader of the Conservatives or any other political party. Given the current trajectory of the Conservative Party, however, I’d say he fits right in. I must wholeheartedly agree with her though that he is certainly unfit for elected office. Unfit for office as MP, unfit for office as Leader of the Opposition and certainly unfit for office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Thank heavens he didn’t get the leadership.
But this is the danger we’re in. For the Conservative Party faced a leadership choice between the racist ideologies of Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch who believes neurodiverse people are a burden on the state. We live in a two party state monopolised by Labour and the Conservatives. I have a massive debt of gratitude over the fact that it is Labour in power now and not the Conservatives but as history has shown, when the country gets bored or sick, they change. After their landslide defeat in 1997, the Conservatives bounced back and won power in 2010 and will one day do so again after their most recent defeat. And when they do, men like Jenrick and women like Badenoch are what we must fear. People who are so detached from reality that they believe countries should be grateful for their enslavement. Or people who believe that mental health is nothing but an imagined concept to burden the state.
