It's not enough to commemorate the abolition of slavery - each generation must abolish it again

One of the worst things that this country ever participated in was the slave trade. And up to 1807 just about every country had the same stain on its' record.

One of the best things we ever did was pass laws, beginning in 1807, to ban first the slave trade and then slavery itself -  and use the Royal Navy to enforce the ban.

But sadly that was not the end of the story.

Unfortunately we cannot treat slavery as only a thing of the past. It keeps coming back in new forms and human trafficking is still, alas, very much with us. The horrendous story which is just breaking about three women who appear to have been held as slaves in London for up to thirty years is just the tip of the iceberg.

So I welcome the fact that the present government is to bring in a bill called the Modern Slavery Bill which will bring all the various laws together, and ensure that the issue is a top priority for the new National Crime Agency.

Catching a human trafficker will be as important as catching an arms dealer, and police will be given clear instructions that the victims are not to be prosecuted.

Given the trouble that various parts of government have in talking to each other, Theresa May is considering the creation of a Commissioner for Modern Day Slavery to make sure these proposals are properly carried out.

Hat tip to Fraser Nelson for a good article on this subject in the Telegraph here.

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