Outrageous David Starkey ‘so many damn blacks’ comment is ‘indefensible’ says Fitzwilliam College

Controversial historian David Starkey stunned interviewers with his comment that “slavery was not genocide, because there are so many damn blacks still around”

The comment was made on YouTube on the channel Reasoned UK, and the presenter, Darren Grimes, (conservative supporter and Brexit campaigner) was floored when Starkey stated the following:  “Slavery was not genocide otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain, would there?

“An awful lot of them survived and again there’s no point in arguing against globalisation or western civilisation. They are all products of it, we are all products of it.

“The honest teaching of the British Empire is to say quite simply, it is the first key stage of our globalisation.

“It is probably the most important moment in human history and it is still with us.”

The tsunami of backlash has already hit and is still coming from all quarters of the country, Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge University is reconsidering his position as an honorary fellow after the remarks.

Former Chancellor Sajid Javid said, “We are the most successful multi-racial democracy in the world and have much to be proud of, But David Starkey’s racist comments (‘so many damn blacks’) are a reminder of the appalling views that still exist.”

Publisher Harper Collins tweeted: “The views expressed by David Starkey in his recent interview are abhorrent and we unreservedly condemn them. Our last book with the author was in 2010, and we will not be publishing further books with him. We are reviewing his existing backlist in light of his comments and views.”

Grimes has been criticised for not challenging the views and instead nodding along as Starkey continued to speak.

He later released a statement about his interview, saying he “wasn’t engaged enough” in the conversation.

He added: “It goes without saying that Reasoned UK does not support or condone Dr. David Starkey’s words.

“I am very new to being the interviewer rather than the interviewee and I should have robustly questioned Dr. Starkey about his comments.