Neil Oliver believes it is “absolutely right” for children to learn “good things” about the British Empire in school.
Mr Oliver’s comments come after Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch urged schools to teach “both sides” of history.
She said: “There were terrible things that happened during the British Empire, there were other good things that happened, and we need to tell both sides of the story.
Kemi Badenoch
Chris McAndrew
Neil Oliver spoke to Dan Wootton on GB News
GB News
“I think my upbringing and schooling in another country has really influenced the way that I look at these things.
“There wasn’t any sort of attempt to describe the British Empire as this awful, terrible thing that oppressed and victimised us."
Speaking live on GB News' Dan Wootton Tonight, Mr Oliver echoed Ms Badenoch’s thoughts, saying that it's not to anyone’s benefit “to portray the British empire as a one hundred percent negative story.”
He said: “I think what Kemi Badenoch is saying is absolutely right, history is nuanced. It’s shades of grey.
“What is happening in Ukraine in the war is shades of grey and I don’t see at any point in reporting black or white in that contemporary story.
“I think in history the only thing we can do is seek to report all sides, I don’t think there is any doubting as Kemi Badenoch says, there is good and bad in the story about the British Empire and I don’t think it’s to anyone’s benefit to portray the British Empire as a 100 percent negative story.
“It’s that idea of portioning the blame for things that have happened in the past onto people who are living in the present. The application of people in that way is wrong.”