Commonwealth_ Sir Keir Starmer, the UK Labour leader, has confirmed that his government will not pursue reparations for the UK’s historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Instead, he aims to prioritize addressing future-orientated issues within the Commonwealth. The Labour leader’s stance aligns with a longstanding British position against financial reparations for slavery, with Downing Street also indicating that Starmer will not be issuing a formal apology on Britain’s behalf for its role in the trade. This stance comes as the Commonwealth faces renewed calls from Caribbean nations for reparative justice, specifically financial compensation for slavery’s enduring impacts.
Three candidates vying to become the next head of the 56-nation Commonwealth have voiced their support for reparations, reflecting a growing push from member nations. Ahead of an upcoming Commonwealth summit in Samoa, where leaders will gather to discuss key issues affecting the bloc, several Caribbean nations, backed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), are lobbying to include the topic of reparations on the agenda. CARICOM, an association of 15 Caribbean countries, has a dedicated reparations commission, which has been advocating for compensation and has issued a list of demands to European governments, which include contributions to health and education programs, as well as the cancellation of certain national debts.
Starmer expressed sympathy with the moral argument against slavery, acknowledging that there is “no question” it was an abhorrent chapter in history. Nonetheless, he suggested that Commonwealth countries today are more concerned with addressing pressing contemporary issues, such as climate finance and economic development. Speaking en route to the Samoa summit, Starmer said he aims to concentrate on “current future-facing challenges” rather than devoting time to what he termed “long, endless discussions about reparations.” He argued that his forward-looking stance aligns with Commonwealth priorities, emphasizing that the bloc must work toward solutions that are responsive to today’s urgent issues.
The UK’s position on reparations has a lengthy history. In 2013, CARICOM introduced a formal reparations initiative to secure recognition and financial reparations from European nations that engaged in the Atlantic slave trade, which enslaved millions of Africans and displaced them primarily to the Caribbean and the Americas. The UK government and monarchy were deeply involved in the trade until 1833, when Parliament passed legislation to abolish slavery. However, in what some campaigners have pointed out as a problematic legacy, British slave owners were compensated for the loss of their “property” after the abolition of slavery, while formerly enslaved individuals received no compensation for their suffering and the forced labor they endured.
In addition to CARICOM’s efforts, academic and activist estimates for the potential cost of reparations have varied widely, with figures ranging from £205 billion to nearly £19 trillion. This wide disparity reflects differing perspectives on the form reparations should take and the difficulties in quantifying centuries of suffering, exploitation, and its lingering effects. While some argue for direct financial compensation, others call for structural forms of reparative justice, such as debt relief, educational programs, healthcare funding, and economic investments designed to address the impacts of slavery and colonialism. In the UK, the issue of reparations has become more prominent in recent years, particularly within the Labour Party. Five Labour MPs recently called for Starmer to put reparations on the agenda for the Samoa summit, seeking a more proactive role for the UK in discussions about historical accountability and justice. They argue that reparations are about more than financial compensation; they represent an acknowledgment of historical wrongs and the enduring legacy of slavery in shaping global inequalities.
