'Wilberforce Conservatism'

William Hague reminded the House of Commons of his considerable skills this afternoon when he gave a powerful speech to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade.  The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I listened to this section:

"It was the British government which was the first of a major European country to legislate against the slave trade and after 1807, lobbied, bullied, and bribed other nations to follow forthwith.  And, as the world’s foremost maritime power, it was the Royal Navy who bravely enforced the abolition: an assignment which was to become one of the most protracted and gruelling in its history. The suppression of the slave trade was described as ‘perhaps the most disagreeable, arduous, and unhealthy service that falls to the lot of British officers and seamen’ and between 1810 and 1850 the Royal Navy freed nearly 120,000 slaves.  And so the moral case, once made and enshrined in the law, was upheld over the coming decades through a commitment to international diplomacy and the application of British force."

If that passage made me proud to be British another section reminded me of the global leadership of George W Bush's America in opposing modern-day slavery:

"Speaking as Shadow Foreign Secretary, I would like to see an improved and strengthened international effort to tackle human trafficking. The United States, through the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons has elevated this issue, and amongst other endeavours, now produces an influential Trafficking in Persons Report on an annual basis.  Other countries, including our own, must follow suit and act with the same levels of commitment."

It is, of course, an American-made film - Amazing Grace - which pays tribute to the life of William Wilberforce.  If you do nothing else please go to the movie's website and watch the Madagascar clip.  It's strong stuff.  It's already in US cinemas - it's in UK cinemas from Friday.

Download a full pdf of William Hague's speech here.

Comments

[andrea leadsom]

Tonight's Wilberforce Address (run by CCF) was equally inspiring, talking about racism as the legacy of the Slave Trade.

[Richard Hyslop]

The William Wilberforce Lecture by David Davis, Tuesday 17 April

25th March 2007 will mark 200 years to the day that a Parliamentary Bill was passed to abolish the slave trade. The prime mover in this was the Tory MP and Clapham resident William Wilberforce.

This parliamentary bill was the culmination of a 20 year campaign conducted from what is now the Vauxhall Constituency.

· Wilberforce and the great anti-slavery campaigners held their meetings to abolish the slave trade at Hawkstone Hall on the Kennington Road.

· Wilberforce and his fellow abolitionists in the Clapham Sect worship at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham.

· The charity Anti-Slavery international, based in Stockwell, has its roots in the first abolitionist society founded in 1787.

To mark this occasion Vauxhall Conservative Association and the Conservative History Group will be hosting The William Wilberforce Lecture given by the Rt Hon David Davis MP, Shadow Home Secretary.

The event will be held at St Paul’s Church, Rectory Grove, Clapham on 17th April. If you are interested in attending or would like to find out further information please contact: [email protected]

[Ruth]

.............25th March 2007
Stop children being bought and sold to pick coco beans to make our chocolate here in the UK, come and join us in Bromley High Street, and find out how to help.
.........Guest Speaker William Wilberforce
.......... Stop all Human Trafficking
......... 2pm to 5pm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

.....2pm we are walking in chains from the wilberforce oak at Kenston to Bromley High Street. .....please help us to stop all Human Trafficking............

[dirty european socialist]

Wilberforce was noa a conservative. He was an independent MP. The 1807 and 1833 acts against slavery were brought in under Whig party governments. The slave trading tories never would have backed such measures.