RENFREWSHIRE councillors are set to discuss how the area could reflect on its historic involvement with the slave trade at a meeting being held tomorrow.

Labour group leader Eddie Devine has made further calls for the local authority to conduct a detailed review on the subject following the rise of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaign.

The Paisley Southeast representative has also pitched the idea of an internal group being set up, which would be specifically responsible for delving into Renfrewshire’s murky past.

Council leader Iain Nicolson has since confirmed a debate will be taking place at tomorrow's full council meeting to establish how best to recognise the region’s past links with slavery and what steps may need to be taken to do this.

Councillor Devine said: “I am calling on Iain Nicolson to say there will be a review into Renfrewshire and Paisley’s past history in the slave trade.

“We believe this has to be looked at.

“I would like an internal group to be set up to have a proper look at this – and I’m not just talking about a five-minute job.

“We cannot just forget our history.”

The BLM initiative gathered momentum last month following the death of African-American man George Floyd, who was killed in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

In recent weeks, many statues of people who benefited from enslavement have been vandalised across the UK, including one of John Witherspoon outside the University of the West of Scotland in Paisley, which was emblazoned with the words 'slave owner.'

Some people have also called for streets referencing former plantation owners and profiteers to be renamed.

Famous merchants such as the Coats family and Paisley-born John Glassford all benefited from the slave trade through their fortunes in the tobacco and cotton industries.

Thomas Coats and his brother Sir Peter Coats are both memorialised in Paisley, while George Aitken Clark – who earned a fortune through manufacturing spool cotton that became recognised as an American brand – also has a statue commemorating his £20,000 donation to build Paisley Town Hall.

Councillor Nicolson said he hopes a sensible discussion can take place on how Renfrewshire could better recognise its history.

He said: “The full council meets this Thursday and we agreed among the political groups, including Councillor Devine’s, that would be the right forum to consider and discuss our response to the BLM campaign and the terrible events surrounding George Floyd.

“The BLM campaign has changed the way we should look at our own local history and the way we view our past.

“I expect it to be a considered debate and discussion on how Renfrewshire can reflect on its own history and involvement in the European slave trade and what steps will be required to address that.”

The first full meeting of the council since the Covid-19 pandemic struck will take place at 9.30am and will involve 21 out of 43 councillors.

Read all the latest from Renfrewshire and beyond

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