Benefits of the British Empire are ignored

THE British Empire had its blemishes, as had other empires, but I’m not in agreement with the bleak picture painted by a recent correspondent.

Many of the places which fell under the Union Jack were riven by tribalism and religious practices which in some cases involved human sacrifices. No mention is made today, for instance, of the part played in the slave trade by the rulers of Benin.

The missionaries also brought schools and hospitals as well as religion. Raw materials from the Empire fed the mills and factories in this country which provided work for thousands. The British introduced legal systems which still survive, even if some of the current rulers don’t paricularly like them. Vast tracts of land were opened up because the British built bridges and railways.

The ordinary British soldier, far from being a bloodthirsty bully, was probably one of the finest ambassadors sent overseas.

Britain pulled out from its empire in good order, unlike some other colonial powers. If Britain was so villainous, why is the Commonwealth so well-supported?