Ex-Minister: UK Colonies Should Pay Reparations for Historical Investment

A former British minister has ignited controversy by suggesting that territories colonized by Britain should pay reparations to London. Suella Braverman, who previously served as Home Secretary, argued on social media that the UK made significant "investment, effort and contribution" in building these nations, laying the foundation for modern democracies.

Braverman's remarks came in response to news that Jamaica intends to formally petition King Charles III for reparations related to the transatlantic slave trade. She asserted that "slavery was abhorrent" but contended that expecting "the British people of the 21st century to pay for actions that took place in the 18th century has no basis in law."

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Of course slavery was abhorrent but to expect the British people of the 21st century to pay for actions that took place in the 18th century has no basis in law.

Instead, Braverman proposed that former colonies should "pay the British back" for the historical investment. This perspective contrasts sharply with the growing global movement demanding reparations from former colonial powers for centuries of unpaid labor and exploitation during the era of chattel slavery.

Further complicating the historical financial narrative, a report indicated that up to 2015, British taxpayers were still repaying a loan taken out in 1835 to compensate slave owners after the abolition of slavery. This loan, originally £20 million, would be worth over US$3 billion today, highlighting a complex and often overlooked aspect of the financial legacy of British colonialism.

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If the government is seriously thinking about this, then former colonies should pay the British back for the considerable investment, effort and contribution that this country made, which laid the foundations for many flourishing democracies today.