• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Elevenses
  • Business
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Property
  • JOBS
  • All
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Sport
    • Tech/Auto
    • Lifestyle
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Set For Life
      • Thunderball
      • EuroMillions
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Sunak refuses to apologise for UK role in historical slavery

He was answering MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions when challenged on the issue by Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2023-04-26 16:35
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

The Prime Minister refused to apologise for the UK’s role in historical slavery and colonialism, and rejected a call to commit to reparations when challenged in the Commons.

Rishi Sunak said he was committed to ensuring the UK is an “inclusive and tolerant” society, and said trying to “unpick our history is not the right way forward”.

He was answering MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions when challenged on the issue by Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham).

Bernie Grant

She said: “This month marks 23 years since the passing of the late, great, Bernie Grant, a former member of this House, and the founder of the UK reparations movement in the UK.

“In his last Prime Minister’s Questions before his death he asked for an apology to the people of African descent living and dead for our country’s role in slavery and colonialism.

“But since then, prime ministers and heads of state have only ever expressed sorrow or deep regret.

“These are not sentiments that are befitting one of the greatest atrocities in human history.

“There has been no acknowledgement of the wealth that has been amassed or the fact that our country took out the largest loan it ever has to pay off the slave owners, and not the enslaved.”

“Understanding our history”

She asked: “Will he do what Bernie Grant asked all those years ago, what I have asked, and what countless others have asked since, and offer a full and meaningful apology for our country’s role in slavery and colonialism, and commit to reparatory justice?”

RelatedPosts

EXCLUSIVE: Unite organisers ‘seriously considering’ turning to Jeremy Corbyn’s party amid Labour fallout

Lib Dems call for Canadian PM to get state visit just before Trump’s

Clacton MP has only mentioned his constituency four times in Parliament

Emmanuel Macron – ‘Europe’s freedom faces greatest threat since WW2’

Mr Sunak said: “No. What I think our focus should now be on doing is, of course, understanding our history and all its parts, not running away from it, but right now making sure that we have a society which is inclusive and tolerant of people from all backgrounds.

“That’s something that we on this side of the House are committed to doing and will continue to deliver, but trying to unpick our history is not the right way forward, and it’s not something that we will focus our energies on.”

A Labour spokesman said Ms Ribeiro-Addy’s call for reparations was not party policy.

The spokesman said “she is right to highlight the appalling history of the slave trade” but “on the specific point of reparations, the point that she was making is not Labour Party policy”.

Earlier this week, The Guardian reported that a group called Heirs Of Slaver, made up of descendents of some notable British slave owners, launched a campaign to seek “apology, dialogue, reconciliation and reparative justice” and “support campaigns for institutional and national reparative justice” for the transatlantic slave trade.

Tony Blair, when he was prime minister and challenged and challenged over whether he was prepared to say sorry for the slave trade, said: “I have said we are sorry and I say it again.”

Mr Blair was speaking in 2007 as the government prepared to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

Related: Travel expert says EU is only doing what we asked it to at the borders

Tags: Rishi Sunak

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lottery Results
    • Lotto
    • Set For Life
    • Thunderball
    • EuroMillions
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

← M&S boss dubs Oxford Street a ‘national embarrassment’ and says ‘London is on life support’ ← Lee Anderson in ‘aggressive’ clash with Andrew Bridgen and ex-Tory councillor
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lottery Results
    • Lotto
    • Set For Life
    • Thunderball
    • EuroMillions
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

-->