‘The National Trust has more members than all of Britain’s political parties put together. It is certain that those five and a half million members will agree on nothing. That is why the Trust’s leadership has long taken the view that, on any political issue that does not directly concern it, silence is the wisest policy.’

Writing in the Guardian, Sir Simon says that, on controversial issues, ‘temperatures must be taken and compromises constantly sought’.

He believes that the National Trust was right to look again at the history of its properties and continues, ‘But if the Trust was right to look again at its presentation, it was clearly a mistake to subcontract such a sensitive matter to a group of partisan academics talking a private language that was bound to inflame some members’ feelings. The rewritings needed stronger oversight. For example, slavery and empire are two quite separate issues.’