David Starkey apologises for racist claim slavery was not genocide because there are ‘so many damn blacks’ in UK and Africa

TV historian has lost several university appointments since remarks surfaced

David Starkey has apologised for racist remarks during a recent interview in which he said slavery could not be genocide as there were “so many damn blacks” currently in the UK and Africa.

The TV historian, who has been subsequently stripped of two university positions, said it was a “bad mistake” and that he had paid a “heavy price for one offensive word”.

Starkey made the offensive comments during an interview broadcast on Tuesday with right-wing Brexit activist Darren Grimes.

“Slavery was not genocide otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or Britain, would there? An awful lot of them survived,” the 75-year-old told Mr Grimes.

Starkey was widely condemned for his comments, with former chancellor Sajid Javid saying his words were “a reminder of the appalling views that still exist” in Britain. Historian David Olusoga, meanwhile, said they were “truly disgusting”.

Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge University and Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent last week terminated Starkey’s honorary fellowship and visiting professorship respectively, while publisher HarperCollins UK said it would no longer publish the historian’s books.

“It was a bad mistake. I am very sorry for it and I apologise unreservedly for the offence it caused,” Starkey said.

“I have also paid a heavy price for one offensive word with the loss of every distinction and honour acquired in a long career.”

In his lengthy statement, Starkey said he made the ”deeply inflammatory” comments ”with awful clumsiness” in an attempt to say many slaves survived the slave trade.

But he said his “principal” regret is that his comments and the public backlash would “further restrict the opportunities for proper debate”.