London Socialist Historians Group
Media Release
11th February
Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266
Historians call on Rees-Mogg to clarify ‘celebrating our wonderful history’ remark.
The London Socialist Historians, which organises the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, has called on the Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg to clarify a comment he made in the House on 11th February that we should be ‘celebrating our wonderful history’.
The comment was in response to a question from Tory MP Andrew Rosindell about the Mayor of London’s taskforce to review the Capital’s statues, memorials and street names. Mr Rees-Mogg criticised the Mayor Sadiq Khan and concluded that British history should be celebrated.
The historians say that there are many things to celebrate in British history including, for example, the 1972 strike of Birmingham workers and mass picket of Saltley fuel depot which took place this week in 1972 and effectively won the miners strike of that year.
Mr Rees-Mogg who has published a poorly received volume of historical essays, The Victorians, failed to qualify his remarks leaving it open that he was in favour of celebrating the slave trade and slave traders like Edward Colston whose statue was toppled in Bristol in the summer of 2020. This is not least because the issue of memorials to such historical figures is likely to be part of the Mayor of London’s review.
LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, of course Jacob Rees-Mogg’s comments are an attempt to stoke a Tory Culture War and distract from pressing issues around COVID-19 and the economy. However the question of what can be celebrated in British history and what needs to be disavowed remains important. We are calling on Mr Rees-Mogg to clarify what he meant.
Start celebrating Rees Mogg’s dismissal from Parliament as glorious history, please. And Soon!