The Empirical Benificiaries: Who in the UK saw the rewards of the Empire.

So having looked at how the UK’s national debt is related to Large wars and the maintenance of the Empire this asks the question , was it beneficial to the majority of UK citizens?.

The British Empire primarily benefited the elite in Britain, who gained wealth from colonial investments, resources, and trade, while the working class saw a lesser impact, and the people in the colonies generally lost out due to exploitation, violence, and suppression.

Those who profited were investors, merchants, and members of the ruling class who benefited from the exploitation of colonial resources and labor, with benefits like infrastructure (e.g., railways) often serving colonial interests. In contrast, colonized populations suffered from violence, famine, the suppression of indigenous cultures, theft of land and resources, and the disruption of local economies. 

Those who gained

• The British elite: This group directly profited from colonial ventures through investments, resource extraction, and trade, which fueled wealth in Britain.
• Investors: The empire was a source of profitable, secure investments for those with capital to spare, especially as domestic markets became saturated.
• Merchants and manufacturers: They gained access to new markets for their goods and raw materials, circumventing middlemen and increasing their profits.
• The British military and government: The empire expanded the power, prestige, and global influence of the British state.
• Some in the colonies: While overwhelmingly negative, some colonial subjects may have benefited from infrastructure like roads and railways, the spread of the English language, and access to education and democratic ideals in some cases, although this was often with the goal of serving colonial interests. 

Those who lost

• Colonized populations: This group suffered the most from the empire’s negative impacts, which included:
  • Exploitation: Resources were extracted for the benefit of Britain, leaving colonies impoverished and with depleted resources.
  • Violence and disease: The establishment and maintenance of rule often involved violence, and the introduction of new diseases had devastating effects.
  • Suppression: Indigenous cultures, land, and political systems were suppressed or destroyed.
  • Forced labor: Populations were sometimes forced to serve in the British military or work under exploitative conditions.
• Working-class Britons: While the elite benefited most, the working class may have seen some gains in cheaper goods, but many of the empire’s costs (both economic and social) were borne by them. Some argue the benefits to the average Briton were negligible compared to the overall costs and that the wealth disparity was exacerbated. 

But who is paying its costs?

If we look at the National Accounts for the UK we see that it is the UK as a whole who are footing the bill for the maintenance of the Empire and the “defence” of trade, yet the majority did not recieve the benefits. Income disparity was increased, 1000’s lost their lives in the wars associated with its acquisition and its maintenance. No real military covenant existed so the wounded and maimed were not cared for by the state, and their families encountered hardship and depravation.

So why did the Populous enable this behaviour? In reality they had no other choice true universal suferage did not exist in the UK until 1928, and prior to that it was only in 1919 that all men over 21 got the vote, so prior to this they were not in a position to effect change peacefully via elected representatives.

In the next post I’m going to look at how the Elite managed to control the masses to enable the empire whilst not loosing control at home. It may answer the question why the UK populous didnt have a revolution, and may help explain why we still accept the twisted lies peddled to us to ferment distrust and keep us fighting between ourselves rather than uniting against the small Elite with the money and power.

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