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1982, Anti-racist activists topple the statue of William Huskisson
2020, Interpretation board placed by the former plinth of the William Huskisson statue
The text on the interpretation board reads as follows: "William Huskisson 1770–1830 whose statue once stood on this plinth was MP for Liverpool from 1823 to his death in 1830. He first entered parliament in 1796 and as M.P. for Liskeard voted for the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. During his time representing Liverpool many of his supporters in the town were plantation owners and were not in favour of an end to slavery in Britain’s colonies. These pro-planter sentiments led Huskisson to oppose the abolition of slavery; and in 1826, rather than support calls for immediate abolition, Huskisson championed the passing of the Consolidated Slave Law, introduced as a compromise between those agitating for the abolition of slavery and the planters who wanted to maintain it. Huskisson did not live to see the abolition, he was killed on the 15 September 1830 whilst attending the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Slavery was finally abolished by the British in 1834. In the early hours of July 22, 1982, the statue was removed from the plinth by a group of activists offended at Huskisson’s role in supporting slavery."