Towards a Truth Telling Commission on British Imperialism

This paper explores the potential for a Truth-Telling Commission on British Imperialism to confront the historical legacies of colonialism and imperialism within Britain, its relationships with former colonies, and in the international order. Existing literature demonstrates how truth commissions can expose colonial harms and foster reconciliation, yet no such initiative has been pursued in Britain despite its role in global imperialism. Building on this transitional justice scholarship and the decolonial school, this study analyzes truth-telling commissions in British settler-colonies Australia and Canada to draw lessons for a UK context. Through qualitative methods, including fieldwork, interviews with stakeholders, and public engagement events, this research develops a blueprint for how Britain could meaningfully reckon with its imperial past, offering an intellectual and practical foundation for reparative justice. This paper contributes to the historical sociology of anticolonialism by analyzing how institutionalized truth-telling could dismantle the enduring legacies of empire, supporting movements for justice and equality in both Britain and its former colonies. It also brings honesty to the obstacles - ontological, epistemic, and material - that calling for and institutionalising such a commission would bring, and in doing so invites further research and public debate as to the need and nature of such a commission. By situating Britain as a necessary site of global anticolonial efforts, this research advances scholarly understanding of the dynamics of imperialism and its ongoing impact on modernity.