Slavery reparations: UK rejects Jamaica push

The UK government on Monday ruled out paying slavery reparations as Jamaica prepared to submit a petition addressed to King Charles over the transatlantic slave trade.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Downing Street office said the government's position was clear and that the UK "does not and will not make reparations". The spokesperson said the transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent and that Britain should acknowledge past wrongs, but would focus on current shared challenges with other countries.

Jamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange is leading a delegation seeking to advance Jamaica's push for reparations for Africans enslaved over hundreds of years, Jamaica's culture ministry said.

The petition asks King Charles, who is Jamaica's head of state, to refer three questions about the legality of the transatlantic slave trade to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, Jamaica's highest court of appeal.

The delegation says it is the first time a Commonwealth country has used this legal route to pursue reparations. Buckingham Palace said it understood the Jamaican government was seeking for a petition to be heard before the Privy Council.

The palace said King Charles has expressed a personal commitment to promoting greater understanding of slavery and finding ways to address historic wrongs for communities today. Modern British royals have expressed remorse for the slave trade that enriched their ancestors, but have not made a formal apology or committed to reparations.

Grange is also due to meet British Museum officials to discuss the return of colonial-era artefacts. King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to visit the Caribbean later this year on a trip that does not include Jamaica.