While it might have led to poverty in India at the time, was British rule also .....
But obviously, as we Brits do recognise that we benefited from Empire, we also think we ....
True, so let all the colonies come back in, by plane, by boat whatever, loot and pillage this broke nation, scrape the barrel. It's fair game as the OP says.
Earn the ££ and pump it back home India, Africa, Palestine.... the scores of nations pillaged by the empire, time to get yours back. Every last penny, fill your coffers, as the councils run broke, the social services go unfunded, food bank queues grow longer, bankruptcies rise.... you do your grind, earn your ££ and enrich the colonies. Let the 'empire' continue to rot and grow a little poorer each day.
89 years the empire ruled over the Indian subcontinent till 1947, so another 15 years to see where the 'empire' and the colonies stand when things come a full circle!
So what? Britannia was raped and pillaged by Vikings from Scandinavia, they were ruled by Romans and I daresay a few were probably sent to Rome and tossed to the lions in the colosseum for the pleasure of the public. Do you think we dwell constantly on who our ancestors were?
This nation has been too stupid to realise it's standing 6feet deep in its own grave currently, let alone have any acumen left to understand history. 15 years of colossal errors starting with a banking bailout, decade of QE, Brexit, debt, Tory infighting..... the Vikings were more forgiving in comparison!
It's interesting how certain 'numeric' gen Brits have lost faith, hope and respect in their own identity so they seek comfort in asking others to overlook the hundreds of millions that the british empire killed during its rule, but yet cry foul when tens of thousands of Palestinians are killed? Guess what, it's the british empire that created the mess in the middle east as well.
Israelis carrying out a genocide in Gaza, so what? as they say Britannia was raped and pillaged by Vikings from Scandinavia.....