On Sunday, several Labour lawmakers criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for allegedly adopting a "colonial mindset" and attempting to sideline countries seeking discussions on
reparations for transatlantic slavery at the upcoming Commonwealth summit in Samoa.
Some advocates had hoped that Starmer’s Labour government would be more receptive to reparations than previous administrations, as Britain has consistently resisted calls for compensation. However, before the Commonwealth heads of government summit, where Caribbean and African nations planned to address the issue, Starmer declared that reparations would not be on the agenda. He expressed a preference to “look forward” rather than engage in “long, endless discussions about reparations on the past.”
Labour lawmaker Bell Ribeiro-Addy responded to Starmer’s remarks at a cross-party reparations conference in London, calling it “very insulting” to ask African-descendant communities to “forget and move forward.”
Following the summit, the Commonwealth’s 56 member nations, led by Britain’s King Charles, issued a joint statement acknowledging that the time had come to open dialogue on reparations. "I'm very proud those nations refused to be silenced," Ribeiro-Addy commented.
Clive Lewis, another Labour MP, was also critical of Starmer’s approach, stating it was “surprising” that Starmer thought he could “dictate what could and could not be discussed” with what he termed a “colonial mindset.”
At a news conference in Samoa, Starmer reiterated his condemnation of slavery as “abhorrent” but clarified that any discussions on the topic would not involve “money.” A spokesperson for Downing Street declined to comment further on the criticisms from Labour lawmakers.
Reparations advocates argue that the legacy of slavery continues to perpetuate racial inequalities and propose measures such as a formal apology, debt relief, artifact repatriation, and educational reforms. Diane Abbott, Britain’s first Black woman lawmaker, pointed out that Labour once intended to establish a national reparations commission, but accused Starmer of neglecting that commitment. “Reparations aren’t just about the past; they’re about the here and now,” she said.
While the debate continues, Labour lawmakers underscore the importance of addressing historical injustices as a step toward resolving present-day inequalities. Photo by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.