The British Empire is not uniquely evil in history, and it is unreasonable to judge it using modern moral standards while ignoring the reality of human nature and other historical empires.

“If you had you know it's a bit like um the philosopher kind of John Rules's famous sort of conceit which is you know if you could choose if you had to make a blind choice and you didn't know how rich you were going to be. You didn't know what you going to look like but where would you choose to kind”

The British Empire had both beneficial aspects, such as the rule of law and the spread of the English language, and negative aspects, notably that it was an undemocratic and anti-democratic system.

“well I don't know what I've never discussed this with Nigel farage I don't know what he thinks about it but I think the the good thing is or the good bits were rule of law so even in those days the law didn't distinguish between different races and that was quite a powerful that was quite a powerful”

He claims the British Empire was once viewed through a romantic lens but is now undergoing a necessary critical evaluation.

“This is a period that that where what was, I think, looked at very romantically through rose-tinted spectacles, through Merchant Ivory films and so on, is coming up for critical evaluation.”