Jeremy Corbyn has slammed the UK over slavery reparations in a speech in Jamaica, accusing Britain of “dragging its feet”.
The former Labour leader spoke in Kingston – the capital of the Caribbean nation – last night, where he said that the issue of reparations is “not an issue of the past”.
He said he found it “bizarre” that Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy thought so, insisting that reparations are “about building something new”.
The independent MP for Islington North said: “It is deeply ironic that one of the reasons why reparations are a so-called historic issue is precisely because the West has dithered and delayed for so long.
Jeremy Corbyn has slammed the UK over slavery reparations in a speech in Jamaica
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“The longer Britain continues to drag its feet, the more the case for reparations grows.
“Decades of colonialism have created a profoundly unequal world that concentrates wealth and power in the hands of the global few. Reparations are about building something new. They are about investing resources…that could now be invested in healthcare, housing and education.”
Academics and lawyers have estimated that the UK’s total reparations bill ranges anywhere between £206billion and £19trillion for its involvement in the slave trade.
Starmer has previously acknowledged that slavery was “abhorrent”, though said that he would “rather roll up [his] sleeves and work with them on the current future-facing challenges than spend a lot of time on the past”.
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Protesters demonstrating for reparations earlier this year
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Lammy has since aligned himself with the Government’s stance on slavery reparations
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He has since said that he is ready to discuss the issue, but emphasised that the talks were not focused on handing over cash.
In October, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves rejected Caribbean calls for billions of pounds in cash after claiming reparations were “not on the cards”.
Speaking in 2018, Lammy said: “I’m afraid, as Caribbean people, we are not going to forget our history – we don’t just want to hear an apology, we want reparation!”
Lammy has since aligned himself with the Government’s stance on slavery reparations.
However, some Commonwealth countries have called for the issue of “reparatory justice” to be recognised by an accord signed by the 55 states in an attempt to forge a “common future based on equity”.
Jeremy Corbyn emphasised that those who were the victims to slavery will also be the first to become victims to climate change
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Corbyn’s speech, which was delivered at the University of West Indies to commemorate the legacy of former prime minister Michael Manley, also emphasised that those who were the victims to slavery will also be the first to become victims to climate change.
“When governments in the West say that reparations are a thing of the past, they wilfully ignore the lasting inequalities that are putting vulnerable communities at risk of climate disaster,” he added.
“Reparations are about truth and they are about justice – and that means recognising this nation’s role in crimes against humanity, no matter how uncomfortable that process of reflection may be.
“An important part of that reflection is acknowledging the following truth: Britain’s foundations were built off the backs of others – of generations of enslaved and colonial subjects.”
Starmer has said that further discussions on the topic would be held at the UK-Caribbean Forum next year, which will be attended by foreign ministers.
