UK within British empire is like last person left at a party, says David Olusoga

‘It’s just silly to have national honours named after an empire that doesn’t exist. It’s like having it named after Narnia,’ Olusoga said. Photograph: Olumedia/The Guardian

The historian David Olusoga has said the UK is the one country left in the British empire as he likened it to being the last oblivious person at a party.

Asked at Hay festival on Sunday whether the British empire had ended, the broadcaster said: “There’s one country left in the British empire that needs to liberate itself and have its independence day from its own history, and that’s Britain.”