Reeves rejects calls for UK to make slavery reparations

The UK is "not going to beryllium paying out" reparations for the transatlantic enslaved trade, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has told the BBC.

She said she understood wherefore Commonwealth leaders would beryllium making specified demands but it was not thing the UK authorities would perpetrate to.

The bequest of slavery volition beryllium raised by the leaders astatine their acme successful Samoa, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer is attending.

Ahead of Friday's meeting, helium said helium wanted to sermon existent challenges, particularly clime change, alternatively than issues of the past.

"That's wherever I'm going to enactment my absorption - alternatively than what volition extremity up being very, precise agelong endless discussions astir reparations connected the past," helium said.

“Of people slavery is abhorrent to everybody; the commercialized and the practice, there's nary question astir that. But I deliberation from my constituent of view… I'd alternatively rotation up my sleeves and work... connected the existent future-facing challenges than walk a batch of clip connected the past.”

The chancellor reiterated that connection successful an interrogation with the BBC, successful which she said: "We’re not going to beryllium paying retired the reparations that immoderate countries are speaking about.

"I recognize wherefore they marque those demands but that’s not thing that this authorities is doing."

Commonwealth leaders astatine the Samoa acme are expected to defy the UK and statement ways of securing reparations for humanities slavery. At its height, Britain was the world's biggest slave-trading nation.

Downing Street insists the contented is not connected the docket for the acme of 56 Commonwealth countries.

But diplomatic sources said officials were negotiating an statement to behaviour further probe and statesman a “meaningful conversation” astir an contented which could perchance permission the UK owing billions of pounds successful reparations.

Frederick Mitchell, overseas curate of the Bahamas, believes that the UK could alteration its stance and helium told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “Once you broach the taxable it whitethorn instrumentality a portion for radical to travel astir but travel astir they will."

Reparatory justness for slavery tin travel successful galore forms, including fiscal reparations, indebtedness relief, an authoritative apology, acquisition programmes, gathering museums, economical support, and nationalist wellness assistance.

Mr Mitchell told the Commonwealth gathering: "It’s a elemental substance – it tin beryllium done, 1 sentence, 1 line."

He said to the BBC: "The connection is apologise, that’s the word."

Asked however overmuch reparations should magnitude to, helium said it was not conscionable a substance of wealth but of “respect, acknowledging the past was a incorrect that needs to beryllium corrected”.

He said subordinate countries "want the speech to start" but "there appears to beryllium adjacent a reluctance to person the conversation".

Earlier, a UK authorities spokesperson said: “Reparations are not connected the docket for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The government’s presumption has not changed – we bash not wage reparations.

"We are focused connected utilizing the acme astatine [the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting] to sermon the shared opportunities which we tin unlock crossed the Commonwealth – including securing much economical growth.”

It is understood the Downing Street presumption – that reparatory justness is not connected the docket – portion technically correct, has angered immoderate Caribbean ministers erstwhile it was evident the contented would beryllium discussed astatine the summit.

King Charles is successful Samoa for a four-day sojourn and is owed to formally unfastened Friday's summit.

On a sojourn to Kenya past year, the King expressed the "greatest sorrow and regret" implicit the "wrongdoings" of the assemblage era, but stopped abbreviated of issuing an apology, which would person required the statement of ministers.

Some non-Caribbean countries are not unsympathetic towards the British presumption and privation the acme to absorption much connected existing challenges - specified arsenic clime change, which is adversely affecting galore Commonwealth countries, astir fractional of whom are tiny land states.

But Caribbean countries look determined to support pressing the issue.

All 3 candidates hoping to beryllium elected this play arsenic the adjacent caput wide of the Commonwealth - Shirley Botchwey of Ghana, Joshua Setipa of Lesotho and Mamadou Tangara of Gambia - person made wide they enactment reparatory justice.