The article was updated on 16 February at 09:45 to reflect the fact that Churchill supported concentration camps during the Boer War but was not responsible for them.
The refusal of some to criticise Winston Churchill has reached absurd new levels. But on the 14 February edition of the BBC‘s Question Time, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg took it even further. Rees-Mogg attempted to defend Churchill’s support of concentration camps during the Boer War.
Rees Mogg jumps to Churchill’s defence
During an eventful episode, John McDonnell’s critical comments about Churchill were the subject of an audience question:
Our fourth and final question is about Winston Churchill. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/viHXFx3fq0
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) February 14, 2019
Few were surprised when Etonian MP Jacob Rees-Mogg sprang to Churchill’s defence. But his attempt to justify Churchill’s support of concentration camps might shock many:
https://twitter.com/PiersDisappears/status/1096194536831926272
The online backlash
As seen in the video, Rees-Mogg was challenged by economics commentator Grace Blakeley. Blakeley later reflected on her experience on Twitter:
The crazy thing about this is – even though I know exactly what happened during the Boer wars -Rees-Mogg’s measured tone and deep self-confidence made me second guess myself.
The deep-rooted urge in British culture to defer to aristocratic authority is truly terrifying. https://t.co/vOiMJjRSWz
— Grace Blakeley (@graceblakeley) February 15, 2019
And Rees-Mogg’s comments didn’t go unnoticed by others. Momentum pointed out the scale of death in the camps:
Let's get one thing straight – *26,000* Boer women and children died in British concentration camps. Any moral posturing or attempt to justify this is complete barbarism.
Simply put, Rees-Mogg's patronising rambling was the justification of legitimised murder.
#bbcqt— Momentum 🌹 (@PeoplesMomentum) February 15, 2019
The editor of Channel 4 News was also less than impressed by Rees-Mogg’s historical accuracy:
#BBCQT Having lived in South Africa & studied its history @Jacob_Rees_Mogg’s take on Boer & black concentration camps is a gross distortion. Women & children were not put into them to be fed – they starved in them. This will be offensive to many https://t.co/QRwE6egdH5
— Ben de Pear (@bendepear) February 14, 2019
And journalist Liam O’Hare responded to Rees-Mogg’s argument that the death rates in the camps were similar to those in Glasgow at the time:
https://twitter.com/Liam_O_Hare/status/1096195561919864832
Another Twitter user highlighted the questionable distinctions Rees-Mogg made to justify Churchill’s policy:
“You are confusing concentration camps with extermination camps” – think I am done #bbcqt
— LINA (@agirlcalledlina) February 14, 2019
And responding to Rees-Mogg’s claim that Boers were interned for “their own safety” Aaron Bastani of Novara Media reminded us that:
Jacob Rees-Mogg on South African concentration camps:
“It was for their own safety”.
10% of the Boer population died in British concentration camps during the second boer war #bbcqt https://t.co/LzT0s67XYH
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) February 14, 2019
We need to overcome the stupid simplification of this discussion
The most thoughtful take on Churchill came from the person who asked the original question:
‘With Brexit, we are probably at one of the most significant points in our history… it is really important to understand where we have come from, how we have got here’
This audience member says there needs to be an honest discussion about Winston Churchill and his legacy. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/N7Qvrfq67b— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) February 14, 2019
And yet in mainstream discussion, Churchill is only spoken of in one of two ways. Firstly, those that believe Churchill is a national saint and that to criticise him is blasphemy. Or, secondly, those that believe he was a genocidal monster who embodied imperialism and white supremacism. But there is a third option. And that is that Churchill was a flawed wartime leader who committed racist atrocities.
But Rees-Mogg’s attempt to defend one of the most indefensible episodes in Churchill’s past is a step too far. And it reveals the desperate lengths some will go to protect Churchill’s reputation.
Featured image via Twitter – Piers Disappears
