UK govt rules out slavery reparations as Jamaica presses issue

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP)—The United Kingdom government on Monday reiterated its rejection of calls for the payment of slavery reparations after a Jamaican minister said Kingston would file a petition addressed to King Charles during a visit on Monday. Jamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange will lead a delegation "to advance Jamaica's push for reparations for the African ancestors who suffered under hundreds of years of enslavement", the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Modern British royals have expressed remorse for the brutal slave trade that enriched their ancestors, but have stopped short of a formal apology or any commitment to reparations.

The UK government has also ruled out reparations. "Our position on reparations is clear, the UK does not and will not make reparations," a spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Downing Street office said. "The transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent and of course it's right that we acknowledge the wrongs of the past, but we'll continue to face forward and work with other countries on our current shared challenges," the spokesperson added.

The petition asks the king, who is Jamaica's head of state, to refer three questions on the legality of the transatlantic slave trade to the Caribbean island's highest court of appeal based in London. The delegation says it is the first time a Commonwealth country has used this legal route to pursue the matter of reparations. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said on Sunday: "We understand the Jamaican government is seeking a petition to be heard before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council," referring to the London-based body.

The king has "on many occasions expressed his personal and wholehearted commitment to promoting greater understanding around the issue of slavery and finding ways to address historic wrongs for the benefit of communities today," the palace added. Grange will also meet British Museum officials to discuss the return of colonial-era artefacts. King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla are due to visit the Caribbean later this year as part of a nine-day overseas trip which does not include Jamaica.