‘He who controls the past controls future. He who controls the present controls the past.’ Curtailing the study of history -along with the absurd idea that it should not be continually re-written, reframed and expanded is a dangerous move to control the narrative

and restrict access to a core subject that tells us who we are.
As an ordinary kid from Wythenshawe in Manchester I was given free entry into a lifelong passion. From the 70s more and more people were invited in as university numbers increased - and it was still free.

We were introduced to books that contained worlds we never dreamed existed. We were taught research skills, how to evaluate sources, and we were encouraged to develop empathy for other cultures, and for the people of the past around the globe. But now that is under attack.

and I fear that all the ground that has been gained since I went to school is being eroded. The history taught in our schools & universities does need a radical and inclusive rethink -it will stimulate and reinvigorate all of us. But it will not happen if we allow our horizons

to be narrowed and access to be withdrawn. Right now the biggest threat to the planet is the climate catastrophe. So to re write Orwell - who can empathise with the past can empathise with the future. We need history for today and tomorrow, and it should be available to all.