Slavery reparations not on agenda at Commonwealth summit, says No 10

The issue of reparations for slavery is not on the agenda for next week’s Commonwealth heads of government (Chogm) summit, and the UK is not considering paying up, Downing Street has said. The stance could put Keir Starmer, who will attend the gathering in Samoa, on a collision course with other nations. All three candidates to succeed Patricia Scotland as Chogm secretary general at the event have said they support reparations for countries affected by slavery and colonisation. Asked what the government’s position on the issue would be at the summit, Starmer’s official spokesperson said: “Just to be clear, reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. Secondly, the government’s position on this has not changed. We do not pay reparations.” Starmer would be in Samoa “to discuss the shared challenges and opportunities faced by the Commonwealth, including driving growth across our economies”, he added. Some institutions have begun the process unilaterally. The Church of England has pledged to put together a £1bn fund to address its role in the legacy of slavery. Last year the Guardian apologised for the role the newspaper’s founders had in transatlantic slavery and announced a £10m-plus programme of restorative...