LONDON — King Charles III and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer are expected to face growing demands for the United Kingdom to pay reparations of up to £200 billion for its role in the transatlantic slave trade during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa later this month.
A coalition of 15 Caribbean nations has united to push for reparations at the summit on October 21, renewing pressure on Britain to acknowledge and compensate for its colonial past.
The call for reparations comes amid rising republican sentiment in the Caribbean and follows similar recent declarations at the United Nations by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
A Global Reset and New Conversations
Mottley, a leading figure behind the reparations initiative, described reparations as part of a necessary “global reset” during her recent address to the UN.
Earlier this month, she held discussions with King Charles in London ahead of the 56-nation summit.
Though Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the specifics of their conversation, Mottley has praised the King for saying in 2022 that slavery is “a conversation whose time has come.”
The growing momentum for reparations comes as the UK government faces international scrutiny for its colonial legacy, particularly following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The move has raised concerns over the UK’s ability to retain control over other overseas territories, including the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.
A Unified Caribbean Demand
Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has emphasised that the Caribbean leaders will present a unified stance at the summit.
“When we meet in Samoa, the Caribbean leaders [will] very forcefully speak to the Commonwealth as one voice,” he said, noting Britain’s new King and Labour government as central figures in the upcoming discussions.
Estimates for reparations related to Britain’s involvement in slavery vary widely.
The Caribbean Reparations Commission has placed the bill at £206 billion, while Patrick Robinson, a UN judge, has suggested the true cost could reach £19 trillion, calling such figures an “underestimation” of the historical damage caused by the slave trade.
Robinson remarked, “Once a state has committed a wrongful act, it’s obliged to pay reparations.”
Prime Minister Mottley has previously argued that British colonialism left deep scars on her country, referring to Barbados as “the home of modern racism.”
She estimates Britain’s debt to her nation at £3.7 trillion, reflecting centuries of exploitation.
A Complex Legacy
The reparations debate touches on Britain’s historical contradictions, as Foreign Secretary David Lammy highlighted.
Lammy, whose ancestors were enslaved, has spoken about the legacy of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, which compensated slave owners with £17 billion for the loss of their “property” but awarded nothing to freed slaves.
“Some people simply do not know their history or do not want to know hard truths,” Lammy tweeted.
The movement for reparations also coincides with a shift in Caribbean political attitudes toward the British monarchy.
Barbados became a republic in 2021, and Jamaica is set to remove King Charles as head of state by 2025.
The push for accountability extends beyond the Caribbean.
Last year, the Church of England set up a £100 million reparations fund after acknowledging its past involvement in the slave trade.
Divided Opinions
Despite the growing demand for reparations, a recent report by Policy Exchange reveals a divergence in public opinion.
While a majority of Commonwealth citizens believe that Britain has done “more good than harm” in the world, many British citizens hold the opposite view.
The UK government has yet to confirm whether reparations will be included on the CHOGM agenda.
A spokesperson for the Commonwealth Secretariat stated, “Commonwealth heads have always discussed challenges and aspirations constructively,” adding that the meeting will provide an opportunity for leaders to address significant issues facing member states.
With Chancellor Rachel Reeves grappling with a £22 billion fiscal deficit, even a fraction of the proposed reparations could severely impact the UK economy.
As Britain navigates the complex legacy of its colonial past, the Commonwealth summit promises to reignite debates about reparations, the monarchy, and the nation’s responsibility for historical injustices.
The Foreign Office declined to comment on the reparations demand, and No. 10 characterised the agenda for the Samoa summit as “speculative.”
