Edinburgh says sorry for city's role in slavery and colonialism

The metropolis of Edinburgh has apologised for its past relation successful slavery and colonialism.

A gathering of the metropolis assembly was opened with the motion from Lord Provost Robert Aldridge.

The apology was the effect of an enactment program from the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Group which made 10 recommendations aft studying the city's history.

Acknowledging Edinburgh's portion successful past wrongs was the archetypal recommendation.

The Lord Provost said: "As civic person of the metropolis and convener of the council, I apologise to each those who suffered profound carnal and intelligence maltreatment from the city's past engagement successful colonialism and slavery.

"It is intolerable to look retired from this gathering crossed the metropolis and not spot however the scenery of the metropolis was shaped by the wealthiness generated from colonialism and slavery.

"The effects of colonialism and slavery are profoundly embedded successful the cloth of our city, successful the buildings, successful the institutions and adjacent successful the mode that Edinburgh is laid out.

"We cannot contradict the benefits that the metropolis has accrued implicit the years from the exploitation of others and successful peculiar the continent and peoples of Africa."

He said that coming to presumption with the city's past and recognising the detriment its ancestors wrought was "very hard for america all".

He added that residents should present effort to reconcile the past with the generations of contiguous to determination forward, agreed successful the city's communal goals of equality, fraternity and liberty.

The reappraisal radical was acceptable up successful 2020 successful effect to the Black Lives Matter movement.

It was led by Jamaican-born world Sir Geoff Palmer, a quality rights activistic and campaigner connected the contented and aimed to capable the spread successful cognition and knowing astir the city's past.

Lord Provost Aldridge thanked Prof Palmer's squad for producing a "world-leading portion of work" connected the taxable which volition assistance signifier aboriginal argumentation and engagement successful the city.

Following the apology, the adjacent enactment volition beryllium the instauration of an autarkic bequest commission.

The radical volition oversee the organisation of the remaining actions.

Edinburgh's apology follows a akin determination by Glasgow successful March, portion different UK cities specified arsenic Liverpool and London person besides issued ceremonial apologies.