October 29, 2024
Britain’s legacy in its former colonies is back under fire after Robert Jenrick, a frontrunner for the UK’s Conservative Party leadership, suggested that nations once ruled by the British Empire “owe us a debt of gratitude” for spreading peace, prosperity, and democratic institutions. Jenrick’s remarks, published in an op-ed in the Daily Mail, are already igniting international backlash and further intensifying the Commonwealth’s push for reparative justice.
While acknowledging the Empire’s dark history—“crimes on a terrible scale, including slavery, the displacement of peoples, and military aggression”—Jenrick argued Britain should embrace pride, not shame, over its imperial legacy. His comments come just as 55 Commonwealth nations agreed to open discussions on reparations for slavery and the harmful legacy of colonization, a topic gaining renewed attention across the world.
“Former colonies recognized that the British system of governance was the best in the world for promoting peace and prosperity,” Jenrick claimed, positioning British governance as a beneficial inheritance. For Jenrick, the argument that the British Empire’s governance and infrastructure were constructive elements—despite its infamous history—appears to be key to his pitch for party leadership.
This argument is finding a friendly audience in the Conservative Party’s membership, which is widely recognized for a more conservative stance than the general UK population. Yet Jenrick’s comments have enraged critics, many of whom say his views gloss over the Empire’s systemic exploitation of colonies.
The statement also counters Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s stance, who recently rejected the idea of reparations payments for former colonies, a position that has drawn fire from some factions within his own party. However, Starmer has expressed openness to continued discourse around Britain’s colonial history, a marked difference from Jenrick’s assertive stance on the legacy of British rule.
With Jenrick facing off against Kemi Badenoch for leadership this weekend, the Conservative Party’s direction on issues of race, history, and international responsibility appears up for grabs. Whether Jenrick’s controversial statements will win over party members or provoke a reckoning with Britain’s colonial past, remains to be seen.
