should those objects be returned? is there a blatant issue here of making amends, reparations? i think we should look at items on a case by case basis. and some of the items at the time were considered loot, and i remember gladstone, for example, talking about some items had been taken from ethiopia and saying it would be good if we returned them. and that was 100 years ago and we still haven t returned them. they re in the v&a. and we ve got to remember that the british museum, for example, only has 1% of its collection on display. if you returned a few items, you ve still got 99.99% of your collection, and you ve probably got a very interesting scholarship, you ve got very interesting exhibitions. and also we improve our relationships with the world at a time we really need to improve our relationships with the world. i used that phrase cultu re war . in your view, is this a war that needs to be fought, that, however heated it gets, however much mutual mistrust
and suspicion is aroused between different ideologies, maybe even different races, as this debate rages, it s worth it, is it? yeah, i mean, i can t say it s particularly pleasant, and they accuse each other of starting it. i mean, people say the black lives matter movement started the culture war on empire. some people accuse the right wing part of the conservative party for egging it on, but it s an issue that young people really care about, i think. there was a yougov survey done recently which found that 75% of british people think it s a good idea to teach colonialism and slavery in our schools. so, i think most people are ok with it. but there s a fringe number of people who are very against it and hence this culture war. yeah, but there s also interesting statistics which show that british kids who study history are perfectly free to choose modules which focus on imperial history, for example, and the slave trade and all of that, and actually it seems
on a case by case basis. and some of the items at the time were considered loot, and i remember gladstone, for example, talking about some items had been taken from ethiopia and saying it would be good if we returned them. and that was 100 years ago and we still haven t returned them. they re in the v&a. and we ve got to remember that the british museum, for example, only has 1% of its collection on display. if you returned a few items, you ve still got 99.99% of your collection, and you ve probably got a very interesting scholarship, you ve got very interesting exhibitions. and also we improve our relationships with the world at a time we really need to improve our relationships with the world. i used that phrase cultu re war . in your view, is this a war that needs to be fought, that, however heated it gets, however much mutual mistrust and suspicion is aroused between different ideologies, maybe even different races, as this debate rages, it s worth it, is it?
colonialism and slavery in our schools. so, i think most people are ok with it. but there s a fringe number of people who are very against it and hence this culture war. yeah, but there s also interesting statistics which show that british kids who study history are perfectly free to choose modules which focus on imperial history, for example, and the slave trade and all of that, and actually it seems only about 10% of those children choose those modules. they re, it seems, on the whole much keener to choose the second world war or even henry viii and the tudors. so, whether you feel this has to be forced down kids throats is one question. well, the thing is, during my lifetime, there have been two massive racist scandals, the stephen lawrence murder and windrush. both inquiries said the solution to racism was to teach the history of empire. and i believe that. i think empire is the biggest thing this country ever did. it explains why we are multicultural, explains our particular bran
yeah, i mean, i can t say it s particularly pleasant, and they accuse each other of starting it. i mean, people say the black lives matter movement started the culture war on empire. some people accuse the right wing part of the conservative party for egging it on, but it s an issue that young people really care about, i think. there was a yougov survey done recently which found that 75% of british people think it s a good idea to teach colonialism and slavery in our schools. so, i think most people are ok with it. but there s a fringe number of people who are very against it and hence this culture war. yeah, but there s also interesting statistics which show that british kids who study history are perfectly free to choose modules which focus on imperial history, for example, and the slave trade and all of that, and actually it seems only about 10% of those children choose those modules. they re, it seems, on the whole much keener to choose the second world war or even henry viii and t