Should Britain pay up? Commonwealth leaders argue the UK owes them back what it took in resources and labour from African slaves. In Britain, it has struck a very tender nerve.
Row deepens over slavery reparations
Should Britain pay up? Commonwealth leaders argue the UK owes them back what it took in resources and labour from African slaves. In Britain, it has struck a very tender nerve.
Last week, Keir StarmerThe leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024. headed out to the Pacific island nation of SamoaAn island country in Polynesia. for a summit with CommonwealthOfficially called the Commonwealth of Nations, it was set up in 1926. There are 54 members in all. It grew out of the British Empire and many members, although not all, were former British colonies. leaders. But if he was hoping to relax and soak up the sun, he was sorely disappointed.
Instead, he was immediately confronted with the demand that Britain offer reparationsProviding payment to make amends for a wrongdoing. for its historical role in the slave trade.
In Britain, this has opened the Pandora's BoxIn Greek mythology, Pandora is given a box by the gods containing all the evils in the world and told not to open it. She, of course, does. of a long-bubbling culture war. Some argue Britain used the labour of millions of slaves to become the wealthiest, most powerful state in the world. When its empire receded, it left behind traumatised, impoverished peoples living in coloniesArea or countries under the control of another nation. ravaged of their natural resources.
Now, they claim, it owes those countries reparations to compensate for the wealth it stole from their peoples and their lands.
Others claim Britain got rich through its own technological know-how, not slavery. And then it spent £20m - 40% of its national budget and around £17bn in today's money - freeing its own slaves and policing the high seas to prevent more from being sold.
Even Conservative leadership candidate Robert JenrickA British Conservative Party politician. has weighed in, arguing that the Commonwealth should actually be grateful to the UK.1
What is the truth? Britain was involved in the slave trade for some three centuries and by the 1700s was the world's biggest trader of slaves. In this time it shipped more than three million Africans to the Americas.2
Their conditions were unimaginable. On slave ships like the BrooksA British slave ship launched at Liverpool in 1781. She became infamous after prints of her were published in 1788. they were packed in tiny spaces like cargo for the entire six-week voyage over the Atlantic. On one infamous occasion, 130 Africans were simply thrown overboard to drown so a captain could claim insurance.3
When they arrived in the colonies, they were often separated from their families before they were set to backbreaking labour harvesting cotton or sugar. Their life expectancy after arrival was around seven years.
Some historians believe their labour created profits that were then reinvested in British industry, kickstarting the Industrial RevolutionA period of sudden, rapid industrialisation that transforms a country from an agricultural to an industrial economy. and making Britain the world's wealthiest country. Others think these profits were hoarded by slaveowners and contributed little to industrialisation.
From the 1760s an abolitionistSomeone who sought to end slavery. movement began to develop in Britain, fuelled partly by the moving stories of former slaves like Olaudah EquianoAn 18th Century writer and part of an abolitionist movement of Africans living in Britain. He was taken on a slave ship from Nigeria to the Caribbean as a child before eventually buying his freedom. , and in 1807 they were able to have the slave trade banned. In 1833, slavery was also banned.
At this time, the British government did pay reparations - to the slaveowners. The slaves themselves received nothing.4
British ships patrolled the high seas, apprehending slavers and declaring the stamping out of slavery a moral mission. But this was not done entirely out of philanthropyGiving away (lots of) money to help people. . Britain frequently used this moral mission to conquer and colonise parts of Africa on the pretext of ending slavery there.
It is not very likely Britain will end up paying reparations. Some estimates put the amount it owes at as much as £18tn - almost seven times its GDPShort for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country..5
But some think this is about more than money. It is about countries in the Global South showing Britain they expect to get more out of Commonwealth membership, or they will look for more profitable partnerships - for example, with China.
Should Britain pay up?
Yes: Millions of Africans suffered and died to make Britain rich, and then it left their own countries poor. This injustice has never been corrected. Now is the time to do it.
No: History is in large part a long series of injustices. We cannot make reparations for all of them. We can only move on from the past and try to forge more equal relations in the future.
Or... This is not really about the past. It is about whether countries once colonised by Britain want to keep their links with it in the present. If they go elsewhere, the UK will be the weaker for it.
Keir Starmer - The leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024.
Samoa - An island country in Polynesia.
Commonwealth - Officially called the Commonwealth of Nations, it was set up in 1926. There are 54 members in all. It grew out of the British Empire and many members, although not all, were former British colonies.
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Pandora's box - In Greek mythology, Pandora is given a box by the gods containing all the evils in the world and told not to open it. She, of course, does.
Colonies - Area or countries under the control of another nation.
Robert Jenrick - A British Conservative Party politician.
Brooks - A British slave ship launched at Liverpool in 1781. She became infamous after prints of her were published in 1788.
Industrial Revolution - A period of sudden, rapid industrialisation that transforms a country from an agricultural to an industrial economy.
Abolitionist - Someone who sought to end slavery.
Olaudah Equiano - An 18th Century writer and part of an abolitionist movement of Africans living in Britain. He was taken on a slave ship from Nigeria to the Caribbean as a child before eventually buying his freedom.
Philanthropy - Giving away (lots of) money to help people.
GDP - Short for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country.
Row deepens over slavery reparations

Glossary
Keir Starmer - The leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024.
Samoa - An island country in Polynesia.
Commonwealth - Officially called the Commonwealth of Nations, it was set up in 1926. There are 54 members in all. It grew out of the British Empire and many members, although not all, were former British colonies.
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Pandora's box - In Greek mythology, Pandora is given a box by the gods containing all the evils in the world and told not to open it. She, of course, does.
Colonies - Area or countries under the control of another nation.
Robert Jenrick - A British Conservative Party politician.
Brooks - A British slave ship launched at Liverpool in 1781. She became infamous after prints of her were published in 1788.
Industrial Revolution - A period of sudden, rapid industrialisation that transforms a country from an agricultural to an industrial economy.
Abolitionist - Someone who sought to end slavery.
Olaudah Equiano - An 18th Century writer and part of an abolitionist movement of Africans living in Britain. He was taken on a slave ship from Nigeria to the Caribbean as a child before eventually buying his freedom.
Philanthropy - Giving away (lots of) money to help people.
GDP - Short for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country.