Labour backbenchers have accused Sir Keir Starmer of displaying a “colonial mindset” over his reluctance to discuss reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.
The criticism comes in the wake of the recent Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Samoa, where the Prime Minister rejected calls to address the issue with Caribbean and African nations.
Three prominent MPs – Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Diane Abbott, and Clive Lewis – have voiced outrage at Starmer’s stance.
Starmer has insisted the Commonwealth should focus on “looking forward rather than looking backwards”.
Sir Keir Starmer was slammed for not agreeing to pay reparations
PA
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, addressing a cross-party reparations conference in London, stated it was “very insulting [to] tell people of African descent to forget and move forward”.
She said that reparations are about “remedying the deep-rooted inequalities that still shape our world today”.
Clive Lewis expressed surprise at Starmer’s approach, saying he thought he could take a “colonial mindset” to the summit and “dictate what could and could not be discussed”.
Diane Abbott, co-chairing the conference, noted that Labour previously had plans for a national reparations commission, which Starmer “seems to have forgotten”.
She stressed: “Reparations isn’t about the past, it is about the here and now.”
The MPs argue that reparations are crucial for addressing ongoing inequalities stemming from slavery and colonialism.
At the conclusion of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, leaders resolved that “the time has come” for a conversation on reparatory justice.
A document signed by 56 leaders, including Starmer, called for a “meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation” about justice for the transatlantic slave trade.
Despite this, Starmer downplayed the significance of this resolution in a post-summit press conference. He told reporters it was a small part of “quite a long communique”.
The Labour leader indicated that the topic would be revisited when a Caribbean delegation visits the UK next year.
Amid mounting pressure, a No10 source suggested the UK could support some forms of reparatory justice, such as restructuring financial institutions and providing debt relief.
The source said: “There is a general sense that these multilateral institutions give out loans to developing countries then charge large interest rates for repayments”.
