Standing on the Shoulders of Giants - Why We Should Celebrate (Not Denigrate) Our Shared National History

Co-founder of Whole Nation Conservatives Miranda Jupp is a longstanding North East Conservative activist and former council candidate. Prior to the 2024 General Election she was Chief of Staff to Sir Simon Clarke.

In a letter to fellow scientist Robert Hooke in 1675, Isaac Newton wrote “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. This quote, featured around the edge of our £2 coins, is fundamentally aligned with a ‘small c’ conservative view of the world, with our societal structures, as well as our collective knowledge, being deeply rooted in that of previous generations, a product of gradual evolution and improvement over time, as opposed to revolutionary restructuring on the basis of abstract ideas.

As such, the importance of celebrating our country’s history, and the unifying and educative force of doing so, should be at the core of Whole Nation Conservatism. A self confident Britain should not accede to demands for reparations or apologies for past actions which are being cherry picked from complex contexts in a very different age. Virtue signalling of this nature is also not an approach which connects with millions of hardworking Britons who most certainly haven’t ‘profited’ from the slave trade or the British Empire in any tangible manner, yet are being told taxes taken from their hard earned wages should be used to absolve the ‘sins’ of the past rather than provide public services in the UK.

In recent years, the Conservative party has at times been too cautious in taking a stance on issues of this nature, seeking to avoid causing offence, rather than making the case that so called ‘imperial guilt’ should shape policy decisions. There have been signs in recent months of a course correction in this regard: Kemi Badenoch has had the courage to nominate Nigel Biggar, a scholar who has determinedly sought to bring balance to assessments of the legacy of the British Empire as a Conservative peer and Robert Jenrick produced an excellent video setting out the absurdity of Mauritian demands in relation to the Chagos Islands. It is to be hoped that this reset continues.

But appreciating the contribution our national past makes to modern Britain means more than just pushing back against calls for apologies. We should also celebrate the explorers, innovators and entrepreneurs whose actions shaped the world we live in today. Communities should be supported to remember their famous sons and daughters. Youngsters should be encouraged to take inspiration from the ingenuity and resilience which lie behind some of the incredible tales which can be found within the pages of our island story. This is heritage shared by all who call our amazing country home and encouraging everyone to take ownership of these stories can be a powerful basis for unifying sense of belonging. Amidst (well founded) concerns about integration, we should make use of the ability of inspirational tales from the past to define what it means to be the best of British. Our rich history provides a grounded basis for a cultural identity which we should celebrate and buy into.

With this in mind, the Whole Nation team intend to run an occasional series highlighting a few of the interesting characters and events which have shaped our country, along with some reflections on what they can teach us. Lots of these stories have a place based angle and we would love to hear from contributors in different corners of the UK who would like to share the story of their local hero or significant event: please do get in touch if you want to get involved!