Britain’s imperial history deserves better than petty culture wars | Saul Dubow

Newcastle council is re-examining Britain's colonial past by adding context to its Boer war memorial. It is right to do so

Newcastle city council's decision to add two plaques to its memorial to the Boer war of 1899-1902 has triggered a feverish reaction. One plaque will contextualise the colonial history of the war; the other will reflect the views of local residents. No sooner was the change announced than the right's whack-a-woke" culture warriors descended upon the city. But the council's engagement with the legacy of the Boer war - and Britain's blood-soaked role in it - should be welcomed by anyone who values serious and honest engagement with history.

The monument in question lists the names of 370 fallen soldiers from the north-east, participants in a war in which more than 20,000 imperial combatants died and many more suffered. It is only one of many similar monuments that shape Britain's urban landscape. Some celebrate military heroes; others, such as the one in Newcastle, focus more on ordinary soldiers and volunteers. It features a figure symbolising Northumbria gesturing upwards towards a beneficent winged statue of Victory; to locals it is known as the Mucky Angel" - as clear an indication as any that the meanings of public statues change over time, not least when they hide in plain sight.