Two stories from today illustrate the gap between CARICOM and the UK, (and other governments?) on the issue of reparations.
The first article, Let Lammy secure slavery reparations, says Caribbean leader reviews the position of the Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, Sir Hilary Beckles who is calling on UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to be given the authority to work through what a reparatory justice model would look like. It notes Lammy’s support, while in opposition, for reparations to the Caribbean. CARICOM is reported to be planning to press for a discussion of this issue at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa.
Sir Hilary Beckles, the chairman of the Caribbean Community reparations commission, said the Foreign Secretary should have a free hand on the issue of compensation
Mr Lammy appeared to call for wider reparations following the Windrush scandal, in which the Government failed to keep records of those granted permission to stay.
Writing on X, then known as Twitter, in 2018, he said: “As Caribbean people enslaved, colonised and invited to Britain as citizens, we remember our history. We don’t just want an apology, we want reparations and compensation.”
The second article, Britain slaps down Caribbean countries’ demand for hundreds of billions of pounds in slavery reparations ahead of Commonwealth summit quotes UK government officlials as saying the topic is not on the agenda. This article also notes the very hard line certain UK opposition Parliamentarians take on the issue.
But No10 said today that reparations were ‘not on the agenda’ and the Government would not pay them anyway.
It comes as Ms Mottley faces questions over her country’s links to China, where the UN has reported the forced labour of members of minority groups.
Asked about the demand, Sir Keir Starmer‘s spokesman said: ‘Just to be clear, reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
‘Technically, the Government’s position on this has not changed. We do not pay reparations…
For more information on this issue, including the Caribbean 10 point plan, please visit the Caribbean Reparations website.