By Harriet Line Deputy Political Editor Published: 12:09 EDT, 23 October 2024 | Updated: 21:20 EDT, 23 October 2024
Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed calls to pay compensation for Britain’s role in the slave trade as he heads to a key Commonwealth summit.The Prime Minister said he would rather work with countries affected by slavery on ‘future facing challenges’, rather than ‘spend a lot of time on the past’.But slavery reparations could be raised with him when he attends the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (Chogm) in Samoa this week.Sir Keir is due to arrive at the summit on Thursday, where the organisation will elect its new secretary general.All three candidates vying for the job have called for reparations to countries that were affected by slavery and colonialism. Sir Keir Starmer said he would rather work with countries affected by slavery on ‘future facing challenges’, rather than ‘spend a lot of time on the past’ Men hold flags as they wait for the arrival of Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the village of Siumu, Samoa King Charles III is introduced to dignitaries by Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiam Naomi Mata’afa as he arrives at Apia Airport for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia on October 23Caricom, a group of 15 Caribbean nations, has also called for talks to explore such measures, and representatives from the region are expected to raise the issue in Samoa.But Downing Street has insisted the issue is ‘not on the agenda’ for the event and ‘we won’t be offering an apology’.Sir Keir told reporters as he travelled to Samoa last night that he was focused on ‘facing forward’ – and suggested he wanted to help Commonwealth countries with climate change, rather than reparations.The PM said: ‘I’ve talked to a lot of our Commonwealth colleagues in the Commonwealth family and they’re facing real challenges on things like climate in the here and now. Joshua Setipa, former trade minister for Lesotho, is one candidate vying to be the next Chogm secretary general and he insists the body should address the impact of the slave trade and colonialism‘And in all the conversations I’ve had with them, what they’re most interested in is can we help them working with, for example, international institutions, financial institutions on the sorts of packages they need right now relation to the challenges they’re facing right now.‘That’s where I’m going to put my focus rather than what will end up being very, very long endless discussions about reparations on the past. This is about stance really, looking forward rather than looking backwards.’Sir Keir said slavery was ‘abhorrent’, but that he would ‘rather roll up my sleeves and work with them on the current future-facing challenges than spend a lot of time on the past’.Estimates for the likely reparations bill for British involvement in slavery in 14 countries range from £206billion to £19trillion.While a majority of Commonwealth leaders are expected to attend the Commonwealth summit, India’s Narendra Modi and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa will be noticeably absent.Instead, they have chosen to attend the BRICS summit in Russia at the invitation of president Vladimir Putin, where the leaders of Brazil, China and several other prominent developing nations will also be present.Asked whether he was sad India and South Africa were not attending the Commonwealth meeting, Sir Keir told reporters it was ‘a matter for them as to where they attend’.He added: ‘I do think the Commonwealth is really important. I think the Commonwealth family is really important. It’s an incredible opportunity, I think there’s 55 countries that are represented there, quite a significant number of that at leader level. So it’s a very important meeting. And for me, this one in particular has got a focus on growth and trade, and the advantage that we have with our Commonwealth counterparts in trade.’
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Sir Keir Starmer dismisses calls to pay compensation for Britain’s role in the slave trade as he heads to Commonwealth summit