Income from the slave trade was a significant part of the economic development of some areas of Britain (notably Bristol), but less so than in many other countries; and of no significance at all, despite what McGrath says, compared to the Industrial Revolution (during which it quickly became apparent that it was cheaper to use "wage slaves", for whom employers had no responsibility when they were not needed, or when, due to accident or illness, they were unable to work). For what it's worth, slaves brought by their owners into Britain automatically became free, though in practice they continued to be bound to their employers as indentured servants; just as a great many British people were similarly bound. The majority were able to "buy out" eventually (in much the same way as you can "buy out" of the armed forces), and a good number were set up by their former owners as proprietors of lodging houses, pubs and the like. There has been an African input into the British gene-pool from at least the 17th century onwards, though it was quite small to begin with and therefore tends to be forgotten.

That doesn't alter the fact that slavery is an abomination. To pretend, however, that Britain is the prime offender is wilfully to disregard the evidence of history. What's done is done, and cannot be changed. We need to be aware of, and to acknowledge, the mistakes of the past; but to indulge in middle-class angst over things that happened long ago, and over which we had no control, is pointless and fatuous. Is there a nation in the world that has nothing with which to reproach its history? I rather doubt it. We need to concern ourselves instead with the things that are being done in our names today; the illegal invasion of Iraq would be one such, as would the inexcusable interference with national economies of loan-sharks like the International Monetary Fund.

In the face of all that, Les' objections to the last night of the Proms really do look very small and rather petty; not unlike complaining about children playing at "cowboys and indians". They mean no harm, and they don't know any better. By all means educate them; don't try to stigmatise them. That achieves nothing.