The Commonwealth of Nations has submitted a formal request for “discussions” with the UK on compensation for the transatlantic slave trade. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried but failed to keep the subject off the agenda of a major gathering in the Pacific island of Samoa on October 25–26.
The Commonwealth is made up of over 50 countries, most of which are former territories of the British Empire. The UK has ruled out any such payment and has so far also refused to make a formal apology.
Last year, the Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, concluded that the UK owed more than £18 trillion ($24 trillion) in reparations for its involvement in slavery in 14 Caribbean countries.
Starmer had previously rejected compensation talks, saying that the UK would neither be “offering an apology” nor paying reparations for atrocities spanning three centuries.
However 56 member states signed a communique branding slavery a “crime against humanity.” It also calls for “discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.”
“The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity,” the document states, adding that the leaders will continue to play “an active role in bringing about such inclusive conversations addressing these harms.”
Earlier this month, British tabloid The Daily Mail claimed that a group of Caribbean countries would be seeking “an astonishing £200 billion” ($261 billion) in compensation for slavery at the meeting in Samoa.
During a press conference after the summit, Starmer admitted that slavery was “abhorrent,” but refused to address the idea of a payout.
“I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that,” he said, maintaining that the summit’s agenda was mainly focused on “resilience and climate.”
In August, UN judge Patrick Robinson said that the UK cannot ignore calls for slavery reparations, highlighting that the amount calculated by the Brattle Group was an “underestimation” of the damage caused by the trade.