Brits divided as Commonwealth calls for reparations grow

"As a British taxpayer, would you beryllium blessed to lend towards enslaved commercialized reparation?" I ask, connected a quiescent Sunday greeting astatine Brixton marketplace successful southbound London.

It's not an casual question to airs to a stranger.

But Chino, who I've conscionable sparked up a speech with, answers without hesitation: "Well, yeah, definitely."

He's primitively from an ex-Commonwealth country, Zimbabwe, and admits that makes him "definitely biased" with a "different take" connected the matter.

I'm asking him, and others here, what they marque of growing calls from leaders of Commonwealth countries for the UK to wage reparations for the relation it played successful the transatlantic enslaved trade.

Chino says there's a "good argument" for reparations due to the fact that "a batch of benefits person been had retired of Commonwealth countries".

He's not unsocial successful that view.

Listening to euphony connected her headphones and walking briskly done the marketplace is Ebony, who's Jamaican.

"I consciousness similar we request to springiness reparations successful the modern time context… similar assemblage help," she says.

She adds that "symbolic" reparation - specified arsenic an apology - would not beryllium enough.

"Everything is 'symbolic'," she insists. "This is, 'let's speech money'."

Similarly, Grace, buying for groceries further down the road, says the UK authorities has a "responsibility" to assistance Commonwealth countries.

"Families were displaced," she tells me. "And countries were ruined… the vitality of the state was destroyed.

"So you person that spread that tin ne'er beryllium replaced. So I deliberation they should effort and bash something."

Read more:
Why Commonwealth leaders privation reparations
How reparations could work

Around the country soon after, I conscionable Matthew Hoyle, who is keen to speak.

His presumption is different. Mr Hoyle says the UK should "address the issues astatine location earlier you look abroad".

"In an perfect satellite we would [pay reparations]," helium says. "But I deliberation it's hard to spot immoderate enactment pushing that arsenic a policy."

Another pistillate I talk to disagrees that reparations should beryllium paid and says fiscal assistance whitethorn beryllium necessary, but successful a antithetic form.

She says: "You should beryllium paying thing to assistance Commonwealth countries, not needfully for reparations for slavery, due to the fact that different however acold bash you privation to spell back?"

"Should we inquire the Romans? Should the Italian authorities beryllium coming present to assistance bail america retired due to the fact that of what the Romans did for us?"

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Away from Brixton, astatine the UK Reparations Conference 2024 successful Euston, northbound London, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy weighs in.

She's the seat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations and argues determination has been "a batch of misunderstanding".

"No 1 is saying, 'empty the offers, bare retired £18trn pounds today'," Ms Ribeiro-Addy says. "In the end, it's not meant to disadvantage immoderate 1 country, successful information for a state similar ours, successful effect, it volition payment it."

The UK authorities has made its presumption wide successful the past fewer weeks, repeatedly ruling retired offering reparations and apologies.

But the Commonwealth Heads of Government acme successful Samoa has forced the contented - and there'll beryllium a treatment again astatine the UK-Caribbean forum adjacent March.

The speech has started and volition continue. History, it's clear, volition not beryllium ignored.