Slavery
Labour MP says Rishi Sunak should talk to regions leaders after Trevelyan family announcements
The Labour MP Clive Lewis has called on Rishi Sunak to enter negotiations with Caribbean leaders on paying reparations for Britains role in slavery, following the historic announcements by the Trevelyan family.
Speaking at a parliamentary debate on promoting financial security in the Caribbean, Lewis said the issue of reparations could not be dismissed as an obsession among a small group of so-called woke extremists.
He pointed to the recent announcements by the Trevelyans, an aristocratic British family, who made history by travelling to the Caribbean to publicly apologise for the ownership of more than 1,000 enslaved Africans and committed to paying reparations.
They did what no British government has ever done before. They apologised for their ancestors part in the exploitation of the 1,000 slaves they owned on six plantations, he said. They acknowledge the financial and cultural advantage this has generated for them and urge the British government, as I will today, to enter into meaningful negotiations with the government of the Caribbeans in order to make appropriate reparations.
Lewis added the announcements by the Trevelyan family had opened the door of this debate just a little wider.
Lewis went on to liken the relationship between the UK and the Commonwealth to an abusive relationship in which one partner has endured 400 years of the most hideous abuse, one who now seeks not charity, but restitution.
He added: This country will not be able to move on as a cohesive whole until these issues are resolved.
During the debate, the Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski questioned whether reparations were the best way forward: I think all members of this house will be incentivised and motivated to ensure that there is the greatest flow of capital to our allies and the Caribbean, but would he not agree with me that more importantly than reparations is giving the Caribbean states active tariff-free access to the United Kingdom, the worlds fifth largest economy, rather than the protectionist racket that they have experienced from the European Union, which inherently tried to restrict the flow of goods from the Caribbean to the European Union?
Kawczynski stated that one of the reasons he campaigned for Brexit was the exclusion of Commonwealth citizens from freedom of movement.
In response, Lewis said: I think we can have both a fair immigration system in this country, which we dont have at the moment, and we can also have justice for the Caribbean. The two are not controversial and theyre not incompatible.
Among the other handful of MPs at the debate was Labours Nadia Whittome, who spoke in support of Lewis. The case for former colonial powers to pay reparations to the descendants of enslaved peoples is particularly strong, she said, given that the UK government was making compensation payments to descendants of enslavers, families and organisations in 2015.
And the reason why reparations is the right and fair thing to do is, yes, because of the legacy of slavery and because wealthier countries like ours extracted and underdeveloped those societies, but also because of our role in the climate crisis and the fact that threatens the very future of the Caribbean.
In 1835, the Trevelyan family received 26,898, a significant sum at the time, in compensation from the British government for the abolition of slavery a year earlier. The enslaved men, women and children on their plantations received nothing, and were forced to work a further eight years unpaid as apprentices.
{{topLeft}}
{{bottomLeft}}
{{topRight}}
{{bottomRight}}
{{.}}
Read this article:
Clive Lewis calls for UK to negotiate Caribbean slavery reparations - The Guardian
- Cheap Caribbean - December 9th, 2016 [December 9th, 2016]
- Caribbean - Lonely Planet - December 12th, 2016 [December 12th, 2016]
- Caribbean Sea | sea, Atlantic Ocean | Britannica.com - December 13th, 2016 [December 13th, 2016]
- Caribbean travel guide - Wikitravel - December 22nd, 2016 [December 22nd, 2016]
- Caribbean Information Office - January 9th, 2017 [January 9th, 2017]
- Holidays to the Caribbean 2016 / 2017 | loveholidays.com - January 9th, 2017 [January 9th, 2017]
- Caribbean Cruises | Caribbean Vacation Packages | Norwegian ... - January 9th, 2017 [January 9th, 2017]
- Caribbean - New World Encyclopedia - January 9th, 2017 [January 9th, 2017]
- 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Actor Brenton Thwaites to Star in Thriller 'Ghosts of War' - Variety - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- New Kokomo bar has Caribbean theme - Kokomo Tribune - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Michael Perry: Caribbean work day | Recent columns by Michael ... - Madison.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Orlando Bloom Returns as Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean 5 First Look - MovieWeb - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Link-Caribbean Awards US$125000 To Five Caribbean Firms - Caribbean360.com (subscription) - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Johnny Depp Finally Appears In Dynamite 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Super Bowl Spot - Forbes - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- RORC Caribbean 600 attracts Classics - Scuttlebutt Sailing News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Caribbean dancer N'Jelle Gage-Thorne visits Allen Hall - Daily Illini - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Norwegian, Royal Caribbean expand Cuba sailings through end of the year - Orlando Sentinel - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Why Disney's 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Had The Best Super Bowl Movie Ad - Forbes - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- The 'baseball island' is taking on water at the Caribbean Series - ESPN (blog) - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- World's Smallest Biennale Drops Anchor on Caribbean Islet - Hyperallergic - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Obama kiteboards in Caribbean with billionaire Richard Branson - Reuters - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Crime Costing Caribbean Billions | Caribbean360 - Caribbean360.com (subscription) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Classics Gather in Caribbean - Sailing World - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- CCGA enters partnership with Caribbean college - The News (subscription) - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Caribbean Charm Enjoying New Location - Hartford Courant - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- World Bank Appoints New Country Director for the Caribbean - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release) - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Caribbean reports record of 29M visits - The San Luis Obispo Tribune - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Puerto Rico edges Mexico for Caribbean Series title - MLB.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- LGBTQI coalition gears up in eastern Caribbean - Erasing 76 Crimes - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Caribbean Series artifacts to be displayed in Hall - MLB.com - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Pros and Cons of Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- AP PHOTOS: Editor Selections From Latin America, Caribbean ... - ABC News - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Caribbean reports record of 29M visits - Beloit Daily News - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Humanitarian Bulletin Latin America and Caribbean Volume 30 | November December 2016 - ReliefWeb - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- All inclusive Caribbean trips with nonstop flights hit the vacation spot - The Tennessean - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- US, EU Food Standards Major Hurdle for Caribbean Exporters - Caribbean360.com (subscription) - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Cruises that cater to the Chinese on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas - Miami Herald - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- St. Croix Restaurants Named Among Top Ten In Caribbean By USA Today - VI Consortium (press release) - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Caribbean Brothers Bar & Grill opens along Route 30 in Lancaster Family Resort - LancasterOnline - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- FATCA hurting Caribbean: Revoke it, Mr Trump - Jamaica Observer - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Book review: 'Island People' brings Caribbean's humanity, color to life - Fredericksburg.com - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Caribbean/American leaders want strong stance against Trump's immigration policy - Jamaica Observer - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- 10 Ways MSC Cruises is Elevating the Caribbean Cruise Experience - Cruise Fever - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Caribbean hoteliers concerned over poaching - Jamaica Observer - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Caribbean all-inclusive resorts: Top spots for families, foodies, more - USA TODAY - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- This Unknown Caribbean Island Should Be Your #1 Vacation Destination In 2017 - Huffington Post - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Belize among the Caribbean countries recording strongest tourism growth - Amandala - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- You can take a family vacation the Caribbean - AZCentral.com - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Caribbean-style lagoon coming to Houston-area development - Chron.com - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Royal Caribbean CIO Sets Sail For Digital Innovation - Forbes - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- 2000 Royal Caribbean passengers stranded after ship fails life jacket inspection - Fox News - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Caribbean's Carnivals Tip Their Hats to Trinidad - New York Times - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- New shark of the Caribbean - Deutsche Welle - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Caribbean labour ministers to meet in Jamaica - Jamaica Observer - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Record Fleet for RORC Caribbean 600 >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News - Scuttlebutt Sailing News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Caribbean hoteliers predict positive tourism performance for 2017 - Amsterdam News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Venezuela promotes trade with Caribbean - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Disney World announces expansion at Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach resorts - Orlando Sentinel - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- AP PHOTOS: Editor selections from Latin America, Caribbean - SFGate - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- UK weather to get hotter than Barcelona as Caribbean blast 'heatwave' keeps temperatures soaring into next week ... - The Sun - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Black Caribbean Immigrants In The US Today 10 Things You Should Know This Black History Month - News Americas Now Caribbean And Latin America Daily... - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- The 8 Most Memorable Island Cocktails To Try On Your Next Caribbean Adventure - Huffington Post - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Caribbean air will send February temperatures soaring in Cornwall - Cornwall Live - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- New LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean sets revealed at New York Toy Fair 2017, coming in May [News] - The Brothers Brick - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Caribbean/American legislator dispels rumours about immigration sweep - Jamaica Observer - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Lego's New Pirates of the Caribbean Ship Can Open Itself Up Like a Skeleton's Ribcage - Gizmodo - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Royal Caribbean cancels all cruise stops in Turkey in 2017 - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Caribbean trained attorneys are taking over the judiciary in the region - Stabroek News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Caribbean Nations Concerned President Trump's Immigration Policy Will Slow Tourism - South Florida Caribbean News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Woman suffering diabetic shock airlifted by Coast Guard from Royal Caribbean cruise ship - ABC News - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Johnny Depp is in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales', Apparently - Bloody Disgusting - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Dozens Starve to Death in Caribbean Prison - Newser - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Horses on the Caribbean Track - Scuttlebutt Sailing News - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- SXM Festival on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin announces 2017 edition - Mirror.co.uk - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Navigator of the Seas Live Blog - Day 5 - Curacao - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Jamaica Commended For Its Economic Initiatives At IDB - South Florida Caribbean News - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- RORC Caribbean 600: It's Never Like This >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News - Scuttlebutt Sailing News - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- More Caribbean illegals in line for deportation - Trinidad & Tobago Express - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- CHIEF and Taste Of The Caribbean To Be Held In Miami In June ... - Caribbean360.com (subscription) - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Caribbean islands offer Carnival travel choices: St. Lucia, Barbados and more - Newsday - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]