modern slavery, USA News: A new report has urged Commonwealth leaders to tackle modern slavery rather than demand trillions in reparations. The Atonement Complex argues that greater attention should be paid to the estimated 50 million people living in modern slavery worldwide. It comes as Andy Burnham is set to attend a Commonwealth leaders’ summit in the Caribbean this week, after the Prime Minister signalled he was open to calls for a formal British apology for its role in the slave trade.
However, a new report by Professor Doug Stokes for the Institute of Economic Affairs challenges the claim that slavery underpinned Britain’s prosperity. The report argues that the politics of reparations rests on its economics before it fails on its history, noting that the £18.8 trillion estimate of Britain’s potential reparations liability produced by the Brattle Group in 2023 rests on sensitive economic assumptions.
Professor Stokes stated that Commonwealth leaders should focus on ending suffering today rather than pursuing trillion-pound compensation claims for events centuries ago. The report also challenges the claim that slavery was the sole foundation of Britain’s wealth, suggesting instead that Britain’s campaign to suppress the international slave trade cost approximately 1.8 per cent of national income annually over 60 years, alongside the loss of around 5,000 British lives.
Furthermore, the paper warns that reparations demands could expose Britain to significant financial and geopolitical pressure, drawing parallels with the Chagos Islands dispute. Director General at the Institute of Economic Affairs Lord Hannan added that reparations would be wrong on every level, arguing they are aimed narrowly at the country that distinguished itself by a decades-long struggle to end the trade.
Meanwhile, the topic has loomed large over the King’s ongoing visit to the Caribbean, where he acknowledged the great suffering and injustices of the past. While Mr Burnham expressed sorrow and regret for past pain and suffering, previous and current positions continue to reject calls for financial compensation, focusing instead on structured dialogue.
