JEREMY CORBYN has called on Britain to stop dragging “its feet” on reparations for slavery during a special speech in Jamaica.
Speaking in Kingston, the Independent MP for Islington North called on the British government to engage in meaningful discussions about reparations.
Corbyn is currently in Jamaica and delivered the speech at the University of West Indies to commemorate the legacy of former Jamaican prime minister Michael Manley, according to a report by his Peace and Justice Project.
He said: “It is deeply ironic that one of the reasons why reparations are a so-called historic issue is precisely because the West has dithered and delayed for so long. The longer Britain continues to drag its feet, the more the case for reparations grows.
“Decades of colonialism have created a profoundly unequal world that concentrates wealth and power in the hands of the global few. Reparations are about building something new and investing in healthcare, housing and education.”
“Reparations are about truth and they are about justice – and that means recognising this nation’s role in crimes against humanity, no matter how uncomfortable that process of reflection may be.”
Jeremy Corbyn
The MP’s comments come after UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said slavery reparations are “not about the transfer of cash” last month.
According to the BBC, Lammy said conversations about reparations were not part of “the debate people are wanting to have”.
‘Reparations are about truth and justice’
There has been growing pressure from Commonwealth leaders – who have said its time to discuss reparations for the horrors and legacy of the Transatlantic slave trade.
Concluding his speech in Kingston, Corbyn said: “Reparations are about truth and they are about justice – and that means recognising this nation’s role in crimes against humanity, no matter how uncomfortable that process of reflection may be.
“An important part of that reflection is acknowledging the following truth: Britain’s foundations were built off the backs of others – of generations of enslaved and colonial subjects.”
Caribbean leaders have been basing their demands for justice on the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM), 10-point Reparations Plan which has been hailed by campaigners as a comprehensive framework for reparatory justice.
The plan includes a full formal apology, debt cancellation, repatriation funding, educational programs, and the return of stolen cultural artefacts, alongside compensation for the descendants of enslaved people.