Yes, Drake did wicked things. But it���s idiotic to pretend he wasn���t a great Englishman

This is Peter Hitchens's Mail on Sunday column

 

A primary school in London, named after Sir Francis Drake, has changed its name to something so dull I cannot remember it. The original BBC report of this decision (now amended) described Sir Francis as a slave trader and failed to mention much else about him.

Apparently the school has only just discovered this bad thing about the Elizabethan sailor, though I think it has been well known for years. The action is stupid.

While I readily admit t...