Wilberforce Lecture 2007: Hope Again Springs Eternal

Today's Wilberforce Address 2007 at The Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, Westminster SW1P 3DW will be ending in 20 minutes or so. It is special, naturally as the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade is commemorated.

Back in 1987 a certain member of the Bullingdon Boys might have been rather surprised to find himself on this particular platform 20 years hence. He has already of course apologised for the wicked Tory matriarch (more on whom anon) getting things so wrong on Apartheid.

I suppose he might be so moved by the Choir of Judah's spirituality that he adds an explanation on why he himself was tempted to defy the NUS campaign as a young Oxonian and bank in purdah with Barclays. As suspected by the rightist Prospect magazine in 2005, shortly before he got the Tory Boy top job.

He might also like to reflect on the fortunes of his Bullingdon chums and Eton classmates built literally on the backs of slaves. And explain the thinking behind his sadly unsuccessful monstering of immigrants in his dog-whistle campaign for Michael Howard's 2005 debacle.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Quite possibly. Good work DC! I'm sure the Conservative Christians and the Great British Public will be taken in and believe that you truly are a son of god, a su-un of god. And good golly, not a racist.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO FOLLOW.