Tomorrow (30 November, 2021) Barbados will become a republic, severing its last ties to the UK and appointing Sandra Mason as president. This is a wonderful thing and something that any country which still has Queen Elizabeth II as head of state should be considering.
To be sure, since gaining independence in 1966 Barbados' links to
the UK have been minimal and largely ceremonial or sporting. Aside from the Queen, the
position of high commissioner was the most obvious manifestation of colonial
legacy. Membership of the Commonwealth long ago ceased to have much meaning
outside of Buckingham Palace, with the Commonwealth Games being about the only genuine
benefit of membership.
A symbolic act perhaps, but symbols are important for all
sorts of reasons. This is a great demonstration of self-confidence and self-determination
by Barbadians. They are demonstrating they have the confidence to assume full responsibility
for every aspect of the governance of their island. Good for them.
In doing this, they are doing the UK a favour too. Few people in
mainstream society either know or care about the British Empire, but there are
still a few - particularly amongst wealthy elites - who still cling to the idea. For some it may be sentiment or nostalgia,
but for some it marks something more problematic: a hankering after a time of
British superiority and exceptionalism that many assumed the end of empire had consigned
to the dustbin of history. This is a poisonous legacy and needs to be neutralised
as quickly as possible.
I’m sure the Queen is in the sentiment and nostalgia camp,
having grown up in a very different world. She would have been brought up with concepts
of the ‘white man’s burden’ and her supposed responsibility to lead the nations
of the Empire. The Commonwealth is merely the continuation of this idea ‘by
other means’. It allows the palace and others to avoid having to confront
directly the reduced status of the UK or the monarchy in the real world. But sparing the Queen's feelings is no basis for policy.
The sooner other commonwealth countries follow Barbados’
path and put an end to this shadow empire, the sooner the UK will be able to
size up its real status in the world. It would then be impossible for those
clinging to ideas of imperial glory to maintain their delusions: they would
have to confront the reality that we are a middling country of no great significance by ourselves.
In the meantime, it would be wonderful to see some of those
from former slave owning families like Richard Drax respond to the zeitgeist and
gift their land holdings in Barbados to the Barbadian people. The amount of goodwill
that act would generate would far outweigh any financial loss to such a wealthy person. It would constitute the merest drop in the
ocean of reparations that ought to be paid by the wealthy. Sadly, I can't see that happening.
So I say to the people of Barbados, good for you and the
best of luck. Long live the Republic of Barbados!
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