North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has this afternoon spoken of the importance of retaining commemorations of historical figures, but called for an explanation with full context to be attached to them “so visitors or passers-by can make their own judgments”.
Responding to today’s Statement by the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport: “Update on progress following the publication of ‘The Slave Trade and the British Empire: An Audit of Commemoration in Wales’ ”, Mr Isherwood emphasised the need to “highlight history not erase it”.
He said:
“Our relationship with slavery is long, complicated and intricate, and the ancestors of most people living in the UK today will have had some involvement with this. Does the Minister share my view that we must learn from the past if we're not to repeat its mistakes, that it is essential to preserve the culture and heritage of Wales, and that we should highlight history not erase it?
“How does the Minister respond to the report's reference to plaques and its finding that many commemorations, be they public monuments, statues, public portraits or the names of public buildings, places and streets, are often without any accompanying interpretation?
“Does the Minister agree that plaques should be attached to historical monuments containing an explanation with full context, so visitors or passers-by can make their own judgments? Individuals who were memorialised can be complex, and we're glad to see recognition in the report that 'Many had complex personal histories embodying significant changes of circumstances or views through their lifetimes’.
Mr Isherwood made reference to several famous historical figures commemorated in Wales, including Mahatma Gandhi, William Gladstone, and H.M Stanley, and quoted the statement in the report that 'The culpability of several of these individuals in slavery or other abuses is open to debate and interpretation. Several shifted their positions considerably as they considered issues in depth or as attitudes changed around them'.
Referring to the H.M Stanley statue in Denbigh, he said:
“The Report states 'The record of H.M. Stanley is stained by his alleged actions and the consequences of his known actions in Africa, but his personal culpability is a matter of ongoing dispute'.
“Although his reputation was damaged by his role in establishing the Congo Free State for Leopold II of Belgium, evidence shows that Stanley was unaware of Leopold's true intentions and was never implicated in the atrocities that were perpetrated against the native people. Further, his letters and diaries at this time recall his loathing of slavery and the slave trade. In fact, when I was a guest at the unveiling of his statue in Denbigh in 2011, I heard first-hand from a Congolese delegation sent over to the unveiling, who told me of their love and appreciation for him.
“How therefore do you respond to the public vote in Denbigh, which led to the statue being kept by a 471 to 171 margin? Do you agree that local democratic decision making such as this is preferable to any decisions imposed top down from Cardiff Bay?”
The Minister thanked Mr Isherwood for his comments and questions and said “much of what he says I absolutely agree with.”