Livingstone adviser accuses Wilberforce film of 'prettifying' slave trade

A British film about the abolition of the slave trade has been condemned by black leaders for reducing the suffering of Africans to “a mere bit part”.

Lee Jasper, equalities adviser to Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, accused Michael Apted, the director, of “prettifying” the horror of the slave trade by focusing on the abolitionist William Wilberforce and his parliamentary struggle two centuries ago.

The row threatens to cast a shadow over the abolition bicentennial commemorations at a time when schools are giving unprecedented attention to the issue and when focus on modern-day slavery, such as the trafficking of women, has never been more pressing. Read more