Nigel Biggar: Slavery, Empire and The Tyranny of Guilt

In this episode of The Brink, we sit down with Lord Nigel Biggar, theologian, ethicist, and author, for a fearless examination of Britain’s imperial past and the moral panic surrounding slavery, reparations, and “decolonisation.”

We discuss the truth about Cecil Rhodes and the “Rhodes Must Fall” movement, how history has been distorted for ideological ends, and why modern activists are waging war on Britain’s past. Biggar dismantles the myth that British prosperity was built on slavery, exposes the historical illiteracy behind the reparations movement, and reveals how the British Empire ultimately became a global force for abolition and liberal reform.

The conversation also explores the weaponisation of history — how critical race theory, guilt politics, and anti-Western ideology are eroding national pride and being exploited by hostile powers abroad. Biggar warns that this obsession with historical self-loathing is not about justice but about dismantling the moral confidence of the West.

This is a bold and intellectually rigorous defence of historical truth and a vital reminder of the moral complexity behind Britain’s story.

Watch the full conversation here: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebrinkpodcast/p/slavery-empire-and-the-tyranny-of?r=63dafp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:49 Cecil Rhodes and the Rhodes Must Fall Campaign

12:48 Historical Context and Misrepresentation of Rhodes

14:24 The Role of Slavery in British Industrial Prosperity

24:21 Universality of Slavery and Comparative Cruelty

29:03 British Efforts to Suppress Slavery

34:25 The Nuanced View of the British Empire

40:24 Critical Race Theory and Historical Narratives

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