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William Gladstone 'would have let protesters topple his statues ... if done democratically'

Family of former British PM say he was stoutly anti-slavery, despite early speeches

Jacqueline Fuller
Jacqueline Fuller

June 11, 2020

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William Gladstone, the revered 19th-century British prime minister who this week became a target of the Black Lives Matter movement, would not have objected to having his statues removed - if it were done by democratic process, his family said.

Gladstone, a Liberal statesman, emphasised equality of opportunity and free trade as leader of his country for 12 years in four terms between 1868 and 1894, and was opposed to slavery as a politician.

He has found himself on the hit list of the international human rights campaign because his father was a slave owner.

A statue of him in the grounds of Gladstone’s Library in Wales was included on the “Topple the Racists” list compiled by the Stop Trump Coalition in support of Black Lives Matter on Tuesday.

The interactive map was set up after a statue of Edward Colston, a 17th-century slave trader, was thrown into a river in Bristol on Sunday.

Its removal was part of protests over the death of African-American George Floyd, killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, which spread across the US and beyond.

Other historical figures among the 60 whose statues, plaques or monuments should be taken down so Britain can “finally face the truth about its past” include sea captain Sir Francis Drake, military leader Lord Kitchener and businessman Sir Cecil Rhodes.

The Gladstone entry on the Topple the Racists website says: “In William Gladstone’s maiden speech to Parliament, he defended slavery. He fought for compensation for slave owners.

"His father, John Gladstone, received the largest compensation payment of anyone in the UK, suggesting he owned the most slaves in the country at the time of abolition.”

1st September 1861: William Gladstone, photographed in 1861 when he was English Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Whig party. Getty Images
1st September 1861: William Gladstone, photographed in 1861 when he was English Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Whig party. Getty Images

But on Wednesday evening, Sir Charles Gladstone, the politician’s great-great-grandson, said in a surprising statement that he would not oppose the removal of William's statues if “it is the democratic will, after due process”.

“Nor, we think, would William Gladstone, who worked tirelessly on behalf of democratic change,” he said in a joint statement with the Gladstone’s Library warden, Peter Francis.

“Of course, it is undeniable that William Ewart Gladstone’s father, John Gladstone, in common with many successful British merchants in the early 19th century, owned land in the West Indies and South America that used slave labour.

“He received £106,769 in compensation at the time of the abolition of slavery. William himself received nothing.

"Yes, in 1831 William did speak in the Commons in favour of compensation for slave owners. It was his first speech in the Commons and he was still in thrall to his father."

By 1850, in Parliament, William Gladstone described slavery as ‘by far the foulest crime that taints the history of mankind in any Christian or pagan country’.

He had changed, they argued. Towards the end of his life, he cited the abolition of slavery as one of the great political issues in which the masses had been right and the classes had been wrong.

“He thought it was a taint on the national history and politics,” said Sir Charles, who rarely uses his title and prefers to be known as Charlie.

“His change was a move towards a profound commitment to liberty and perhaps this quote exemplifies his shift: ‘I was brought up to hate and fear liberty. I came to love it. That is the secret of my whole career.’

“Liberty today means countering racism, sexism and intolerance wherever we see it. That is where our energies should be exerted. That would be truly Gladstonian.”

Gladstone was born in Liverpool and died aged 88 in 1898 at Hawarden Castle, in Wales, where his heir, Charlie Gladstone, now lives with his wife Caroline.

He was buried at Westminster Abbey after a state funeral at which his coffin was carried by two pallbearers who would become future kings, Edward VII and George V.

A police officers grabs a demonstrator to prevent him from fighting with an abusive passerby during a rally in Parliament Square in London. AP Photo
A police officers grabs a demonstrator to prevent him from fighting with an abusive passerby during a rally in Parliament Square in London. AP Photo
Police officers stand in front of the Winston Churchill statue during a rally in Parliament Square in London. AP Photo
Police officers stand in front of the Winston Churchill statue during a rally in Parliament Square in London. AP Photo
People look over the plinth of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, Britain. EPA
People look over the plinth of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, Britain. EPA
A Massachusetts State Trooper watches a group of protesters, in Revere, Massachusetts, US. EPA
A Massachusetts State Trooper watches a group of protesters, in Revere, Massachusetts, US. EPA
Demonstrators hold placards as they protest for the removal of a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes on the outside of Oriel College in Oxford, Britain. Reuters
Demonstrators hold placards as they protest for the removal of a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes on the outside of Oriel College in Oxford, Britain. Reuters
A demonstrator clenches her fist as she stands on a statue on the Place de la Republique during a rally against racism in Paris. AP Photo
A demonstrator clenches her fist as she stands on a statue on the Place de la Republique during a rally against racism in Paris. AP Photo
A statue of Robert Milligan is seen on the back of lorry after being removed by workers from outside the Museum of London Docklands near Canary Wharf, London, Britain. Reuters
A statue of Robert Milligan is seen on the back of lorry after being removed by workers from outside the Museum of London Docklands near Canary Wharf, London, Britain. Reuters
A woman wears a mask as hundreds attend a vigil for George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis police custody has sparked nationwide protests against racial inequality, at Jack Yates High School in Houston.. Reuters
A woman wears a mask as hundreds attend a vigil for George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis police custody has sparked nationwide protests against racial inequality, at Jack Yates High School in Houston.. Reuters
Signs hang along the security fence erected around the White House in response to protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Washington DC. EPA
Signs hang along the security fence erected around the White House in response to protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Washington DC. EPA
Uma Sarre, 3, left, and Samson Geller, 2, hold signs as families gather for a children's protest in New York. EPA
Uma Sarre, 3, left, and Samson Geller, 2, hold signs as families gather for a children's protest in New York. EPA
A person holds a parting of George Floyd at the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall during a Black Lives Matter protest in Brooklyn, New York. EPA
A person holds a parting of George Floyd at the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall during a Black Lives Matter protest in Brooklyn, New York. EPA

The statement issued by Mr Gladstone and Mr Francis was in part written to address the agreement on Tuesday by the University of Liverpool to rename one of its halls of residence.

The decision came after a group of students called in an open letter to the vice-chancellor for the removal of the Gladstone name “due to his views on slavery”.

A university spokesman said that discussion around Gladstone Hall had been in progress for some time and that choosing an alternative name would be a democratic process.

"We share in the shame that our city feels because its prosperity was significantly based upon a slave economy,” the spokesman said.

The Gladstone Library in Wales. Creative Commons
The Gladstone Library in Wales. Creative Commons

But the move has proved divisive, prompting a backlash from some students, academic staff and local politicians who accused the university of trying to rewrite history.

Many took to social media to point to Gladstone’s achievements as a political reformer, saying that instead of erasing the past, signs should be used to put events into context.

Mr Gladstone and Mr Francis said they had not been contacted by the university recently but had read that the decision had been democratic.

What matters, they stressed, was how people live today, the values they hold, and their democratic process and political involvement.

Gladstone’s politics and values were strikingly different from those of his Tory father, the statement said. He was the first British politician to lead a left-leaning government and to institute dramatic democratic changes when he introduced the secret ballot, universal education and a foreign policy based on freedom and liberty, and not the aggrandisement of the Empire.

“So to us, the decision seems right and proper,” they said. “Gladstone stood for change and so do we.”

The Black Lives Matter movement in pictures

A demonstrator wearing a protective mask attends a Black Lives Matter protest in Amsterdam, Netherlands. REUTERS
A demonstrator wearing a protective mask attends a Black Lives Matter protest in Amsterdam, Netherlands. REUTERS
Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, testifies during the US House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. REUTERS
Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, testifies during the US House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. REUTERS
George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, reacts during the US House Judiciary Committee hearing. Reuters
George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, reacts during the US House Judiciary Committee hearing. Reuters
Philonise Floyd marches with other demonstrators near the White House, to protest police brutality and racism, in Washington, DC. AFP
Philonise Floyd marches with other demonstrators near the White House, to protest police brutality and racism, in Washington, DC. AFP
Protestors take part in a Take The Knee demonstration in solidarity with Black Lives Matter in Windrush Square, Brixton, south west London. AFP
Protestors take part in a Take The Knee demonstration in solidarity with Black Lives Matter in Windrush Square, Brixton, south west London. AFP
Children take part in a protest against racism and police violence during a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration in Duque de Caxias, Brazil. AP Photo
Children take part in a protest against racism and police violence during a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration in Duque de Caxias, Brazil. AP Photo
San Francisco Mayor London Breed the first African-American woman mayor in the city's history, takes a knee with protesters for eight minutes and forty-six seconds to participate in a Kneeling for Justice demonstration. EPA
San Francisco Mayor London Breed the first African-American woman mayor in the city's history, takes a knee with protesters for eight minutes and forty-six seconds to participate in a Kneeling for Justice demonstration. EPA
People walk past a make-shift memorial of people who have died in police custody in Oakland, California, USA. EPA
People walk past a make-shift memorial of people who have died in police custody in Oakland, California, USA. EPA
Demonstrators lie face down with their hands behind their backs during a protest in Oakland, California. EPA
Demonstrators lie face down with their hands behind their backs during a protest in Oakland, California. EPA
Supporters of Black Lives Matter, hold signs during a protest outside the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles, California. AFP
Supporters of Black Lives Matter, hold signs during a protest outside the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles, California. AFP
Demonstrators lie face down with their hands behind their backs during a protest following the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody, in Oakland, California. EPA
Demonstrators lie face down with their hands behind their backs during a protest following the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody, in Oakland, California. EPA
Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet, wears a "I Can't Breathe - Black Lives Matter" t-shirt under his fire suit in solidarity with protesters around the world, speaks to the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Virginia. Getty Images
Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet, wears a "I Can't Breathe - Black Lives Matter" t-shirt under his fire suit in solidarity with protesters around the world, speaks to the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Virginia. Getty Images
Cyclists gather for a mass ride in protest of systemic racism in policing in Brooklyn, New York City. Getty Images
Cyclists gather for a mass ride in protest of systemic racism in policing in Brooklyn, New York City. Getty Images
A woman with a red hand painted on her face, which calls attention to the high rates of indigenous women who are murdered or missing, raises a sign in solidarity in Denver, Colorado. Reuters
A woman with a red hand painted on her face, which calls attention to the high rates of indigenous women who are murdered or missing, raises a sign in solidarity in Denver, Colorado. Reuters
Protesters surround a statue of Christopher Columbus before marching, eventually returning and pulling it down in Richmond, Virginia. Another statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded in Boston. AFP
Protesters surround a statue of Christopher Columbus before marching, eventually returning and pulling it down in Richmond, Virginia. Another statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded in Boston. AFP
People attend a Black Lives Matter Denmark rally in Odense, Denmark. AP
People attend a Black Lives Matter Denmark rally in Odense, Denmark. AP
The White House is seen through the hole of a "Black Lives Matter" banner displaying crosses with the names of black victims who died of police brutality in Washington, DC. AFP
The White House is seen through the hole of a "Black Lives Matter" banner displaying crosses with the names of black victims who died of police brutality in Washington, DC. AFP
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Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5

Strait of Hormuz

Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.

The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Two-step truce

The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.

By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National. 

The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.

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The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.

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Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

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1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18

2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02

3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04

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General Classification

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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
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When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

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Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

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