UK denies it will hold talks with Caribbean delegation over reparations for slavery

The government has denied it is set to hold talks with Caribbean representatives over reparations for the slave trade, as one Labour MP called for the UK to take steps towards acknowledging the damage caused by its colonialist past.

- DAVID MADDOX

The Foreign Office angrily denied reports yesterday that it was to meet with a Caribbean delegation over reparations.

Clapham and Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Afrikan Reparations, said she had been “surprised” by the initial reports in The Telegraph, but added it was “a shame” they are not going ahead.

She told The Independent: “Talks with Caricom nations would be a significant step towards acknowledging the enduring harm caused by enslavement and colonialism. Critics often misconstrue the campaign for reparations as being solely about financial compensation, or historic events that have no relevance today.

“But for these countries our historic crimes play a central part in their present struggles. So reparations at its core is about equality and justice. There are many ways we can go about righting our wrongs, and that starts with a conversation.”