London Socialist Historians Group
Media Release
11th November
Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266
Socialist Historians slam continued Tory ‘culture wars’ attack on the National Trust
The London Socialist Historians Group, which convenes the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, has slammed the continued Tory ‘culture wars’ attack on the National Trust.
The attack seeks to deflect the renewed interest in the historic links of British Institutions with the slave trade that has come from the Black Lives Matter movement, by arguing that it is not legitimate to research the links.
The National Trust has recently published a report on the links between some of the properties it looks after and the slave trade. This is a particular focus of attacks from hard right Tory MPs
On 11th November there was a short debate in Westminster Hall (part of the Commons) on the National Trust.
The full transcript is here:
Below is a key exchange:
Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con)
That this House has considered the future of the National Trust…..
…On top of that, we have a hobnailed boot of a document called, “Addressing our histories of colonialism and historic slavery”, which is considered sufficiently off-piste to attract the interest of the Charity Commission as regulator.
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way and congratulate him on securing this important debate on the National Trust. On his point about the report, what is wrong with the National Trust researching the history of the buildings it looks after? Historic Royal Palaces has just advertised for a curator to uncover its links to the slave trade. Is he suggesting that that organisation should also be subject to this kind of witch hunt by the Charity Commission?
Dr Murrison
The hon. Gentleman ought also to look at English Heritage’s 2013 publication on broadly the same subject. He may wish to compare the quality of that report with the National Trust’s report and form his view as to whether it is appropriate to associate some of our national figures with slavery, as the title of this particular contribution does….
LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, it is entirely appropriate that the National Trust looks at links between its buildings and the slave trade. It is part of British history and while this has clearly passed some Tory MPs by, as Boris Johnson has clearly said we need to look at all of our history without avoiding bits we don’t like or find awkward.
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