The US statue hysteria which caused massive protest in Charlottesville, Virginia last week over the removal of a statue of confederate figure General Lee, has now reached Europe. Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader who would be President Trump’s preferred pick for UK Ambassador to the US, is having his say about the matter as well.
An opinion piece in the UK’s Guardian newspaper entitled ‘Toppling statues? Here’s why Nelson’s column should be next’ by leftist commentator Afua Hirsch, journalist for Sky news, in which she suggested that the UK follow up to the removal of some 700-odd confederate statues being pulled down in the US should be the taking down of Admiral Nelson’s column on Trafalgar Square has caused a massive uproar from Londoners.
Appearing on Channel 4 today, the columnist was immediately attacked by co-debater Laura Perrins for her eagerness to pull down an national British here. She said: “You’re shifting the debate here. Now you’re saying we want to discuss it. Previously you’d said you wanted to tear down the statue of a national hero who gave his life for this country. Lord Nelson was critical in bringing about an end to the slave trade. The Battle of Trafalgar was won in 1805 which meant that Britain controlled the high seas. Then when Wilberforce passed the international Slave Trade Act two years later, 1807, Britain was able to control the seas and actually enforce that Act against all other colonial slave trades. If it wasn’t for British control of the high seas, the international slave trade may well have continued.
Londoners were questioned by Sky news and Channel 4 and all reacted in the same manner.
Former UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) leader Nigel Farage, who famously was the first European politician to visit President Trump after his election victory, also got into the debate and tweeted: “Shocking that The Guardian are encouraging this. The left really do hate Britain.”
Admiral Nelson is generally considered to be a British war hero, known for his inspirational leadership which resulted in many naval victories. The most famous one being the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 against France and Spain.
Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4814024/Now-want-tear-Nelson-s-Column.html
