United Kingdom reiterates rejection of Jamaica’s slavery reparations claim

The British government has again rejected calls for slavery reparations, just as Jamaica prepares to take its request to King Charles III.

Jamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange is leading a delegation to promote Jamaica’s demand for reparations for the African ancestors who suffered centuries of slavery. The Jamaican government plans to ask the king, in his role as Jamaica’s head of state, to refer the case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London because Jamaica cannot bring the request directly before the British courts.

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The United Kingdom does not and will not pay reparations.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Downing Street office said Britain’s position was firm: “The United Kingdom does not and will not pay reparations.” The spokesperson also called the transatlantic slave trade abhorrent and said Britain should recognize the wrongs of the past while working with other countries on present-day challenges.

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The transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent and, of course, it is right that we recognize the wrongs of the past, but we will continue looking to the future and working with other countries to address our common challenges today.

Members of the modern British royal family have expressed regret over the brutal slave trade that enriched their ancestors, but they have not issued a formal apology or committed to reparations. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the king had “expressed on numerous occasions his personal and sincere commitment to promoting greater understanding of the issue of slavery and finding ways to address historical grievances for the benefit of present-day communities.”

Grange is also due to meet officials at the British Museum to discuss the return of objects from the colonial era. Charles and Queen Camilla plan to visit the Caribbean later this year on a nine-day foreign tour, but Jamaica is not included in the itinerary.

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Expressed on numerous occasions his personal and sincere commitment to promoting greater understanding of the issue of slavery and finding ways to address historical grievances for the benefit of present-day communities.