The British Empire was declared a “force for good” by a Reform MS during questions to Wales’ culture minister.
Caerdydd Penarth MS Joe Martin clashed with Heledd Fychan after questioning the Welsh Government’s plans to promote Welsh heritage and culture.
Speaking on Wednesday September 16, Mr Martin claimed the government’s commitment to the decolonisation of Welsh history is an “attack on Welsh identity”.
He said: “The British Empire was ultimately a force for good in the world and the Welsh played an important role in bringing technology, education, common law, democracy, Christian ideals such as the primacy of truth and the dignity of the individual human life to peoples and cultures with no such previous concepts.”
‘Slavery’
Mr Martin continued: “Indeed, without British colonisation the institution of slavery would have continued across the globe unabated.
“Rather than decolonising history we should tell it honestly and that would mean conceding that during the period of colonisation the conscience of the British Empire was the most morally sophisticated the world had ever known.”
Mr Martin went on to ask if Ms Fychan agreed that judging the empire by modern standards was “bad historical practice” that showed “immense ingratitude”.
Following Mr Martin’s comments, murmurs could be heard across the Siambr with multiple Senedd Members sat with their heads in their hands.
Ms Fychan replied: “Can I be very clear? I disassociate myself with every single comment made, and no, I do not agree with the member.”
She then suggested Mr Martin “takes the time” to speak to people he represents who she said would be “horrified” and “frightened” by his comments.
She continued: “I would also ask him to be mindful that our museums, different cultural organisations, are governed – our museums for instance by a code of ethics – and they are working ethically.
“That’s what I ask – for any institution that receives public funding to work within the ethics in which they are bound, to be respectful, to be mindful as we are bound by a members’ code of conduct to do so.”