Former British colonies owe ‘debt of gratitude’, says Robert Jenrick

Britain’s former colonies should be thankful for the legacy of empire, not demanding reparations, according to the Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick. In comments that were described by a Labour MP as “deeply offensive”, the former minister said countries that were part of the empire “owe us a debt of gratitude for the inheritance we left them” in the form of legal and democratic institutions. Jenrick made the comments in an article in the Daily Mail, pushing back against the growing momentum to provide reparations and justice to countries and people affected by transatlantic slavery. Commonwealth leaders agreed at the weekend that the “time has come” for a conversation about reparations for the slave trade. Keir Starmer was among 56 heads of government who signed a document at the Commonwealth summit that acknowledged calls for “discussions on reparatory justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade. Starmer was criticised before the conference after he told reporters he wanted to “look forward” rather than have “very long endless discussions about reparations on the past”. Jenrick accused Starmer of doing a U-turn on the issue and of “capitulating to those determined to tear our country down”. The MP, who is regarded as trailing...