T
o a certain kind of imperial historian, empire is ubiquitous. These historians consider themselves as the torchbearers of the anti-imperialist tradition, challenging the conservative nostalgic views of the past. However, their contemporary counterparts cannot be easily categorized as anti-imperialist, unlike John Hobson, who wrote “Imperialism: A Study” in 1902 when empire was at its peak.
Charlotte Lydia Riley suggests that the British people, as a whole, are resistant to reevaluating their nation’s imperial history, although there are individuals like Robert Tombs who nostalgically reminisce about the days of the Raj. Yet, surveys reveal that most Britons are indifferent to empire today, with only a third expressing pride in it.
It is understandable that subject specialists have biases, however, in this case, the implications of their biases can be more damaging than usual. “Imperial Island” presupposes that postwar racism in Britain is a direct result of colonialism. But the causal relationship isn’t as straightforward as Riley suggests. In the Victorian era, the imperial metropole was undoubtedly a hierarchical society, but its primary distinctions were based on class, not race. Only in the mid-20th century, after the British nation emerged from the empire, did the hierarchy of class and race reverse. It is notable that there were black and brown Members of Parliament before 1929 and after 1987, but none in the intervening years.
Empires inherently embrace multiculturalism, while nations typically do not. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the darkest facets of “white Britain” emerged in the decades following the dissolution of the British empire. We must also remember that it was British nationalism, not imperialism, that led to the end of free movement in the 1960s. Enoch Powell’s anti-immigrant rhetoric stemmed from the former, not the latter. Similarly, throughout history, the collapse of empires and the rise of nations have often fostered intolerance, evident in Vienna after the Austro-Hungarian empire’s fall and the Balkans after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Although “Imperial Island” may disappoint as a comprehensive history of empire in modern Britain, it effectively recounts the history of race relations. The book provides a scathing critique of Britain’s cruelties during the postwar era, which persist to some extent today. Through approximately 50 stories ranging from the 1940s to Nigel Farage, it unveils the institutional and public prejudices that marred British society.
The book commences with a reflection on World War II, debunking the myth of Britain standing alone by highlighting the significant contributions from its 800 million subjects. It then explores the arrival of immigrants from the Caribbean on the Empire Windrush in 1948, a pivotal moment that transformed immigrants into political targets within a decade.
The influence of the far-right can be traced throughout the narrative. The National Front was only weakened in the 1960s and 70s when the Conservative Party incorporated some of its agenda, which subsequently compelled Labour to intensify its xenophobia. Notably, the Tories took the lead in restricting Commonwealth immigration in 1962. Following Labour’s loss of Smethwick to the racist campaign of Tory candidate Peter Griffiths in 1964, Harold Wilson, the Labour Party leader, adopted a similar stance. Consequently, free movement within the Commonwealth ceased in 1968. By 1971, 70 Conservative MPs and peers belonged to the Monday Club, an organization opposing non-white immigration and supporting apartheid.
Along the way, Riley highlights events such as the suppression of the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya and the Malayan Emergency. Later chapters illustrate how imperial ventures tarnished the reputation of two prime ministers (Anthony Eden and Tony Blair) while elevating Margaret Thatcher’s status. Thatcher’s success in the Falklands War, coupled with tabloid support blending “soft pornography and rampant jingoism,” played a significant role.
Furthermore, Riley sheds light on lesser-known injustices, such as the “virginity testing” of Asian women suspected of exploiting an immigration loophole at Heathrow and the unjust classification of African Caribbean children as “educationally subnormal.”
However, there is a tendency to patronize the reader, explicitly explaining ironies and rephrasing quotes unnecessarily. We have come a long way since the postwar era depicted at the beginning of “Imperial Island.” In that era, it was reported that most British people could not name a single British colony. Among those who attempted, some incorrectly listed Wales, Scotland, or even Lincolnshire, while only one in 30 mentioned the United States.
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