Keir Starmer & Reparations: don’t want to know much about history
Keir Starmer is reportedly resisting efforts to put reparations for slavery and colonialism on the agenda for the Commonwealth Conference.
Given that we are in Black History Month this seems particularly insulting but it should not be a surprise.
This is a research note but the issue has a much (much) longer history.
There are at least two parts to it. Firstly the long and to some extent successful effort to get Labour to take seriously and act on issues of racism and discrimination. The Wilson Government in the 1960s passed legislation but making there is black and ethnic minority representation in the Party at all levels including Parliament has taken a long time and is a work in progress. One thinks of the work the Labour Party Black Sections, Diane Abbott, Bernie Grant have done and are still doing.
It’s fair to say that Keir Starmer has no obvious direct interface with these struggles, although living in North London he should be aware of them.
The second part relates to Starmer’s relation to history itself.
There are many in the Labour Party who have a deep interest in the history of the Party and the wider labour movement. However Labour is a political party not a heritage project so a balance has to be struck. Some recent leaders such as Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband were well aware of Labour’s history. Miliband acted to change voting methods based on an understanding of their history. Corbyn was and is very much a people’s history man.
Starmer comes from a different place. Tony Blair and New Labour were quite specific that the past was in the past and Labour was looking forward to a new Britain. Blair despite being a Durham MP never made it to the Durham Miners Gala. His historical references were often limited to pondering whether forming the Labour Party had been a mistake in 1900.
Starmer’s post New Labour has a similar perspective. There may be the occasional nod to Attlee, Bevan (and Bevin) and Wilson but for the current leader the past is another country which he has no plans to visit.
Notwithstanding that the history of slavery, colonialism and reparations is a current issue not just one from history, although the history is central to it
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