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| Britain |
| Slavery reparations not about transfer of cash |
| 2024-11-04 |
| [BBC] When they say it's not about the cash? It's all about the cash UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the concept of reparations for former colonial nations affected by slavery "is not about the transfer of cash". In his first comments since 56 Commonwealth leaders signed a statement saying the time had come for a conversation about reparations, Lammy told the BBC that was not "the debate people are wanting to have". The UK government previously ruled out paying reparations for slavery and Downing Street said its position included "other forms of non-financial reparatory justice too". Lammy said the UK would instead look to develop relations with African nations through sharing skills and science. What form could reparations for slavery take? UK will not pay out over slavery, says Reeves During his first visit to Africa as foreign secretary, Lammy said reparations were not about money, "particularly at a time of a cost of living crisis". Reparations are measures to make amends for past actions deemed wrong or unfair, and can range from the financial to symbolic. Caribbean nations have made a 10-point plan for reparatory justice in which they call for a full formal apology, education programmes, healthcare and direct monetary payments. Speaking in Lagos, a Nigerian port city once central to the transatlantic slave trade, the foreign secretary said the period was "horrific and horrendous" and had left "scars". "I am the descendant of enslaved people, so I recognise that." Lammy said it was right that an apology had been made "and we commemorated the abolition of the slave trade" when Labour was last in power. The UK has never formally apologised for its role in the slave trade, though in 2007 then-Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "Well actually I have said it: We are sorry. And I say it again now." The British government and the monarchy played a key role in the centuries-long slave trade from 1500, alongside other European nations. Britain also had a key role in ending the trade, through Parliament's passage of a law to abolish slavery in 1833. Lammy's remarks followed the discussion of reparations at a summit of Commonwealth leaders in Samoa in October. Amid growing calls from Commonwealth heads of government to pay reparations for the country's role in the slave trade, Downing Street had insisted the issue would not be on the table. But Sir Keir Starmer later signed a document calling for talks on "reparatory justice" alongside other Commonwealth leaders - though he said there had been no discussions about money at the meeting. Lammy said he believed developing nations would benefit as part of that through things such as the transfer of technical skills and science expertise from the UK. Related: David Lammy 10/03/2024 Moment husband is reunited with his wife after fleeing war-torn Beirut in emotional homecoming at Heathrow Airport - as first flights getting Brits out of Lebanon depart David Lammy 09/29/2024 Biden, Harris say Nasrallah’s death is ‘justice for countless victims,’ urge diplomacy; UK calls for immediate ceasefire, France demands IDF stop David Lammy 09/27/2024 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: September 26, 2024 |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #8 The Belgians should throw their name into the reparations hat after the sickening sh!t they pulled in the Congo. |
| Posted by: DooDahMan 2024-11-04 20:28 |
| #7 Reparations should be extracted from the beginning of the supply chain. |
| Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 2024-11-04 16:14 |
| #6 And speaking of fings you find while looking for things... Ratburger? |
| Posted by: Pancho Poodle8452 2024-11-04 14:46 |
| #5 from 1500, alongside other European nations Terra Incognita. A patois fatwa. "'Tis a world fulla tings, innit bruvver, Great Britain did never discover, But somewhere between London Bridge and Benin, She find SLAVERY, and lawwwd, how we suffer!" |
| Posted by: Pancho Poodle8452 2024-11-04 14:38 |
| #4 BBC? Remember slavery was introduced into the North American colonies while they belong to England and there was no United States. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-11-04 13:08 |
| #3 Sell sin and make the only ablution submission to your power. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-11-04 13:07 |
| #2 It's also about the power. (But that's just indirect and ongoing cash.) |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2024-11-04 11:41 |
| #1 Keir Starmer announces extra £75m to tackle people smuggling |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-11-04 07:37 |