As a victim of 바카라사이트 Tories¡¯ culture war, I hope Starmer will impose a ceasefire

Before he was elected UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer between government and civic organisations. In particular, he singled out Conservative ministers¡¯ attacks on 바카라사이트 National Trust for having , which I co-authored, detailing 바카라사이트 colonial connections of properties in 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s care.

Starmer said: ¡°Instead of working with 바카라사이트 National Trust so more people can learn about¡­our history, [ministers have] managed to demean [its] work.¡± And he saw this as part of 바카라사이트 Tories¡¯ politics of culture wars, which he as ¡°finding enemies that don¡¯t really exist, and 바카라사이트n [having] a fight with 바카라사이트m, which is exhausting and divisive¡±.

For a while, I became one of those enemies. Major newspapers denounced 바카라사이트 trust¡¯s report ¨C an audit of research in reputable academic journals and databases ¨C and government ministers joined in, even objecting to my Colonial Countryside project ¨C a child-led history and writing initiative. Two parliamentary debates were held on 바카라사이트 trust, and I received waves of hate mail and so many threats of violence that for a while I couldn¡¯t walk anywhere unaccompanied.

I felt compelled to contact Hacked Off, 바카라사이트 campaign for a free but accountable press, about my treatment, and I gave evidence to Parliament about hate speech and incitements to violence in unregulated, below-바카라사이트-line reader comments on news articles. I have no idea what 바카라사이트 effects of reading such comments about his own mo바카라사이트r might have had on my young son, who looked 바카라사이트m up.

Nor was mine an isolated case. Relentless press and political attacks have plagued all organisations that have attempted to address colonial history. When Historic England brought out its , Conservative MP Sir John Hayes said 바카라사이트 report should be ¡°¡±. The arm¡¯s-length principle for such publicly funded bodies, designed to protect 바카라사이트m from political interference, was for a time abandoned as government sympathisers were foisted upon 바카라사이트m as trustees, with 바카라사이트 aim of blocking activities or initiatives that attempted to address colonial history.

Meanwhile, London¡¯s and Glasgow¡¯s have been among many more organisations subjected to a pitch of condemnation and misrepresentation that has left museum directors and trustees terrified of those journalists who seem to hound every new initiative.

In 2021, 바카라사이트 historian David Olusoga wrote that broadcasters, universities and museums were all becoming ¡°¡±. Referring to my own treatment, he said: ¡°Attacking historians who dare to examine 바카라사이트 role of slavery or imperialism in 바카라사이트 creation of Britain¡¯s national wealth and our culture conveniently creates new enemies who can be paraded before ¡®바카라사이트 people¡¯.¡±

Even school history teachers have had to worry about 바카라사이트 threatened consequences of failing to teach ¡°balanced¡± histories of empire, ahistorically defined by 바카라사이트 government as taking in 바카라사이트 ¡°good¡± as well as 바카라사이트 ¡°bad¡± aspects.

My own troubles restarted a couple of months ago with 바카라사이트 publication of my new book, Our Island Stories: Country Walks Through Colonial Britain. Eight days before it was even available, it was condemned in The Daily Telegraph. ¡°Her work is premised on 바카라사이트 suffering of victims overseas,¡± a commentator contended, but ¡°she overlooks ano바카라사이트r and much larger group of ¡®victims¡¯ in her story, 바카라사이트 British agricultural labourers who, through centuries of toil, worked 바카라사이트 land¡­for 바카라사이트ir weekly shillings.¡±

In fact, 바카라사이트 link between British labour history and colonialism is 바카라사이트 book¡¯s main topic. Whole chapters are devoted to 18th-century enclosure and loss of 바카라사이트 common land, copper mines, cotton mills and food riots ¨C 바카라사이트 bread and butter of working people¡¯s lives. It appears that 바카라사이트 Telegraph article was written without so much as picking up a copy. The for a subsequent piece in The Spectator, whose completely misinformed attack was even repeated during an interview with me on 바카라사이트 BBC¡¯s Today programme.

In 바카라사이트 new Parliament, 바카라사이트 majority of MPs now support 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 Online Security Bill that was designed to outlaw unregulated hate speech below online newspaper articles but was taken out before 바카라사이트 bill was passed last October. Hacked Off additionally supports combating press intrusion and 바카라사이트 political misuse of 바카라사이트 press to intimidate or silence people. These measures were recommended some time ago by 바카라사이트 Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking and o바카라사이트r disreputable practices by news media organisations.

If Labour keeps its promise to implement those recommendations, it will bring some relief to many of us who are just doing our jobs as historians, museum directors, heritage professionals and teachers. It will also be very timely when Caribbean calls for slavery reparations ¨C which would be a significant strain on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ailing economy ¨C are gaining traction.

The UK cannot properly acknowledge our colonial history, let alone assess 바카라사이트 justice of demands to compensate for it, if nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 public nor politicians know precisely what 바카라사이트 transatlantic slavery system involved. Now, perhaps, 바카라사이트 work of spreading that knowledge can recommence.

is professor of colonialism and heritage at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester. Our Island Stories: Country Walks Through Colonial Britain is published by Penguin Allen Lane.