Nigel Farage must know but doesn’t seem to care that history is written by the winners (Nigel Farage quits as Reform UK leader in step back from party politics, 8 March) as he worries about what our children might learn today.
I was brought up 60 years ago with one version of history that celebrated Britain’s amazing inventors, our daring explorers and empire-builders, and a glorious story of our victory in the second world war. I still genuinely celebrate lots of that history, but have now been challenged to recognise that Britain was built by slaves from Africa and from Lancashire towns as well as cotton-milling entrepreneurs; that daring explorers from Norway and Denmark came to our shores and in time enriched our nation; that Americans, Russians, Poles, and countless other nationals also defeated Hitler.
As a child I never learned that women’s history was so full of pain and oppression. The list goes on and on, of the losers who didn’t write my history books but who now may be given a chance to be heard.
Thank heaven for those who are rattling the cages, who are teaching our children that we need to study histories, plural and not singular, and learn from them.
Rev David Gibson
Newark, Nottinghamshire
