Just say sorry Silvio!

Today I am starting my campaign to make Silvio Berlusconi apologise.  Not, however, for his current sins at his ‘bunga bunga’ parties, but for what his ancestors did to our forbears a few hundred years ago.  Of course, I am talking about the Roman invasion and rule of our little island from about AD43 to AD410.

You may know about the killings, the flogging of our queen Boudicca and the rape of two daughters in AD61.  You may also know that wealthy Romans had British slaves here, and there were British slaves in Rome as well.

Do you suppose their lives were a lot of fun?  I don’t think so.  So, Silvio – listen up and just say sorry for what the Italians did to us.  And, while you are about it, put aside some of your millions to help amends – you can call it the Pax Britannica.

No doubt, Silvio, you are familiar with the heroic speech given by our former Premier Tony Blair gave when he apologised for the inaction of his parliamentary predecessors who didn’t do enough to alleviate Irish famine some 150 years ago.  The famine, by the way, claimed an estimated 1million lives. Silvio, your predecessors’ sins were a few centuries earlier, but that doesn’t mean any less hurt!

Consider the statesmanship of former US President Bill Clinton in Africa when he travelled the continent apologising for his country’s involvement in the slave trade.  That took some doing.  You will be following in his heroic footsteps.

Tony Blair’s statement in 1997:

"The famine was a defining event in the history of Ireland and Britain. It has left deep scars. That one million people should have died in what was then part of the richest and most powerful nation in the world is something that still causes pain as we reflect on it today. Those who governed in London at the time failed their people."

Bill Clinton’s apology, 1998:

“Surely every American knows that slavery was wrong, and we paid a terrible price for [it], and that we had to keep repairing that.

"And just to say that it's wrong and that we are sorry about it is not a bad thing.

"That doesn't weaken us."

Silvio, your Pope has already apologised for the actions of a few abusing Catholic priests and our Church of England (2006) too has said sorry for its inaction to bring an end to the slave trade.

These are all high profile apologies that have boosted the stature of the men that made them.  Silvio, an apology to all the men, women and children of this country, and their descendants, whose lives were blighted by servitude, abuse and a lack of dignity is long overdue.  I urge you to act now – and just say sorry. It is hard to put a price on the wrongs perpetuated by the Rome’s vicious rule in Britain.  But 25 million Denarii, in silver of course, should just about do in reparation, I think.