National Trust boss: Churchill was a hero

Charity insists it is fair after threat to cut government cash over row that it’s too PC

THE National Trust insists it has not insulted Winston Churchill and other figures in a report linking almost 100 of its properties to the slave trade and colonialism.

In a video responding to critics of the Trust, director general Hilary Mcgrady says the organisation was simply ply trying to “tell the full story about Britain and Britons and their ir place in global l history”.

It comes as she has written to Tory MP Tom Hunt to offer him a meeting after he raised d the issue in Parliament as part of the Common Sense group of Conservative nservative Parliamentarians.

The group now hope

Ms Mcgrady will meet all 50 MPS and 10 pe peers following some of the members writin writing to Culture Secr Secretary Oliver Do Dowden asking f for omb taxpayers’ money to be blocked until th the organisation ap apologised.

The report inc included Winston Chu Churchill’s former home home, Chartwell in Kent. The Sunday Express h has learnt that th the Cabinet Cb minister, who was at the heart of

Churchill Ch hill at t Chartwell protecting statues from being pulled down, told MPS privately that he is “sympathetic” to their demands.

The Common Sense group’s founder, former minister Sir John

Hayes, said: “We have asked her to arrange the meeting urgently to explain herself and the National Trust’s actions.”

In her video, Ms Mcgrady said she “can understand” why people are concerned the National Trust has become “an organisation with a political agenda and one which wants to tell a certain version of history”. But she insisted: “I can simply say we are not... ot...

Take Winston Churchill. hill.

He was a towering figgure and a truly great at wartime leader who o we the National Trust t celebrate in our pres- entation at his home e at Chartwell.” But she e said it is s not wrong g to point out t Churchill’s other roles in his long political career included opposing

Indian independence and his stint as Secretary ry of State for the colonies. s. She said: “These are simply ply facts and they in no way diminish his achievements as one ne of our greatest war heroes.”

The Trust has completed mpleted a £7.1million appeal to secure 1,000 heirlooms at Chartwell. artwell.

FULL STORY: National Trust boss Hilary Mcgrady