King Charles Has Waded Into The Row Over Slavery Reparations

King Charles has waded into the row over calls for the UK to pay reparations for its involvement in the slave trade. In a speech to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHoGM) in Samoa, the monarch said he understood how “the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”. Advertisement He said that “none of us can change the past” and called on the organisation to find “creative ways to right inequalities” from the past. The King’s comments came as Commonwealth leaders prepare to defy Keir Starmer by including a reference to the reparations debate in the summit’s final communique, due to be published on Saturday. Downing Street has insisted that the UK will not pay reparations for the part it played in the transatlantic slave trade, with some estimates putting the potential bill at £18 trillion. The PM told the summit on Friday: “I understand the strength of feeling here and that there are some calls to face up to the harms and injustices of the past through reparatory justice. Advertisement “The UK believes the most effective way to maintain a spirit of respect and dignity is by working together to make sure the future is not...