Ian Jack’s article on Professor Nigel Biggar’s “Ethics and Empire” project (The sun may never set on British misconceptions of our lost empire, 6 January) misses an intriguing mystery. Jack suggests that an article in the Times about colonialism by Biggar in November “alerted” his critics to the existence of the project. Even more curiously, this fuller account mentioned that the project had already been launched earlier in the year with a two-day workshop in early July on “Ethics and Empire: The Ancient Period”. Harvey SandersLondon• The evaluation of the empire discussed by Ian Jack should include its less familiar ill effects on the British population. The man of wealth and prideTakes up a space that many poor supplied.”DBC ReedNorthampton• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

Source: The Guardian January 07, 2018 19:07 UTC