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If we’re gonna talk about the UK’s history with slavery, how about we talk about the MPs whose money + power comes from slavery?

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Richard Drax MP (2010-now)

Lives in 7,000-acre estate, Charborough House, Dorset.

Where’s that money from?

Great-(x6)grandfather Henry Drax, who made his family’s fortune from slave plantations in Barbados.

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…
Richard Drax MP (cont.)

His great-(x4)grandfather John Sawbridge Erle-Drax was given £4,293 (£3m today) as *compensation* by the UK government in 1833 for the 189 enslaved people he owned.

6 of the Drax family have served as Tory MPs over the years.

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…
Douglas Hogg MP (1979 - 2010).

Conservative Cabinet minister.

His great-uncle was Charles McGarel, who owned *2,489* enslaved people in Guyana.

2,489 people.

McGarel received £129,000 (£101m) as ‘compensation’ in 1837.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…
Quintin McGarel Hogg MP (1938 - 1987).

Father of Douglas Hogg MP.

He was a Conservative Lord Chancellor - serving under Ted Heath and Margaret Thatcher, 1970-1974 and 1979-1987.

His father, Douglas McGarel Hogg, was *also* Lord Chancellor.

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…
David Cameron MP (2001-2016)

*former-prime minister*

Cameron’s ancestor was General Sir James Duff, Banffshire MP in late 17th century.

He owned 202 enslaved people in Jamaica. He was given £4,101 (£3m) as compensation in 1833.

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…

theguardian.com/world/2015/sep…
Samantha Cameron (not an MP, but..)

She is descended from 19th century businessman, William Jolliffe, who owned 164 enslaved people on a St Lucia estate, and received £4,000 (£3m) in compensation.

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…
Those are just some of the more recent ones.

William Gladstone - another ex-prime minister.

His father, Sir John Gladstone, owned *2,508* enslaved people.

He received £106,769 (£83m) as compensation.

Two of his other sons were also Tory MPs.

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…
Many other MPs, so many I lost count, owned slaves or financially benefited from them.

E.g Phillip John Miles, Tory MP who owned 2000 slaves. His son was also a Tory MP.

Or Alexander Baring, who owned 3,400 slaves in Guyana + St. Kitts. At least five Barings have been Tory MPs.
All this research is from the UCL ‘Legacies of British Slave-ownership’ database.

This archives the Slave Compensation Commission, set up to manage the £20 million given in ‘compensation’ to UK slavers for the loss of their ‘property’.

Look for yourself: ucl.ac.uk/lbs
Bonus:

Mary Wakefield (married to Dominic Cummings) is descended from the Baring family.

Alexander Baring made his family’s fortune from 3,400 enslaved people in Guyana & St. Kitts.

He received £9,900 (~£6m) in compensation.

(h/t @AdrianGregory20)

ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/vie…
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