Slavery: Commonwealth leaders urged to focus on tackling modern slavery rather than demanding TRILLIONS in reparations

GB MUSIC RADIO GB Media Limited launches GB Music Radio today, a new all-British music station 1793608204.941 Exclusive Commonwealth leaders urged to focus on tackling modern slavery rather than demanding TRILLIONS in reparations Conservative peer Lord Hannan said reparations would be 'wrong on every level' Sign up to the News Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News.

Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us A new report has urged Commonwealth leaders to tackle modern slavery rather than demand trillions in reparations.

The Atonement Complex, shared exclusively with GB News, 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 (IEA) challenges the claim that slavery underpinned Britain's prosperity.

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The report argues that the "politics of reparations rests on its economics before it fails on its history". It argues the £18.8trillion, estimate of Britain's potential reparations liability, produced by the Brattle Group in 2023, rests on "highly sensitive economic assumptions" that could change the figure by trillions. Professor Stokes said: "There are an estimated 50 million people living in modern slavery today.

Commonwealth leaders should be focusing on ending that suffering, not pursuing trillion-pound compensation claims for events centuries ago. "Slavery was a profound injustice, but claims that it made Britain rich overlook the enormous economic and human costs Britain bore in abolishing the trade. We need an honest account of the whole history, not selective arguments for reparations." Protests broke out across the Caribbean during the King's visit | GETTY The report also challenges the claim that slavery was the foundation of Britain's prosperity.

Professor Stokes argues that, while slavery generated substantial wealth for some merchants and plantation owners, its contribution to Britain's wider economic development was more limited than often suggested. Instead, the paper suggests Britain's campaign to suppress the international slave trade cost approximately 1.8 per cent of national income annually over 60 years, including lost trade, higher consumer prices and government expenditure.

Around 5,000 British lives were also lost in the suppression effort, according to the report. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Kemi Badenoch fumes at Andy Burnham's 'navel-gazing' after PM opens door to slavery apology 'This is how Chagos started!' Suella Braverman warns Andy Burnham against formal slave trade apology Labour Business Secretary slams reparations as ‘not reasonable’ as King faces mounting calls to apologise Protests demanding financial compensation have broken out across the region | REUTERS Going further, Professor Stokes argues that the reparations debate "too often overlooks" both Britain's role in abolition and the wider global history of slavery, including the involvement of African kingdoms and non-Western empires.

The paper also warns that reparations demands could expose Britain to significant financial and geopolitical pressure. Lastly, it draws parallels with the Chagos Islands dispute, noting how a non-binding international court opinion "helped generate political pressure for Britain to negotiate sovereignty and make substantial financial commitments." Professor Stokes warns that reparations campaigners could pursue a similar approach. Tory peer Lord Hannan said reparations would be 'wrong on every level' | PA Director General at the Institute of Economic Affairs Lord Hannan said: "Reparations would be wrong on every level.

"They are aimed narrowly at the country that, in a slave-owning world, distinguished itself by a decades-long struggle to end the foul business. They are based on a collectivism that is impossible to reconcile with freedom. They rest on poor history. "They divert the energies of Caribbean politicians from domestic economic reforms to international rent-seeking." King Charles will address the topic as part of his tour of the Caribbean | REUTERS The topic has loomed large over the King's ongoing visit to the Caribbean, where he said it was "only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past."

As head of state, King Charles is above party politics and is not expected to apologise or refer to the change in Government policy when he opens a summit tomorrow. Mr Burnham expressed his £sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions", but, as previous governments have, rejected calls for financial compensation. He wrote in The Guardian: “We are offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade.

“Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process and I am open to them.” Ruling out considering reparations, Mr Burnham wrote: “I do not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part.” Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter News Police review video showing officer punching teenage boy three times while handcuffed News Homeowners 'trying not to panic' as HS2 tunnelling causes homes to 'sink and crack' News Egypt demands return of Scottish museum mummy after remains removed from display over 'consent' concerns News Police launch investigation into ‘illegal and persistent’ drone activity near British airport News Driver accused of 'stealing from council' after picking up dead deer from roadside as police drop case News Halloween chaos erupts in Birmingham as fireworks fired at police and seven arrested News Historic 17th-century pub set for major transformation despite local backlash News Henry Nowak’s family say 'world changed twice' after watching harrowing police footage News Child in 'critical condition' after horror crash as two other children rushed to hospital and woman arrested News Local community unites to launch new Sunday market in £15,000 bid to boost businesses News Sadiq Khan slammed over refusal to investigate 'mistake' as 66,000 motorists fined under unlawful speed limit News UK police left powerless after father shot British daughter dead in Texas over Donald Trump row News Halloween house party stabbing leaves five teenagers hospitalised with serious injuries News Adventurer Karl Bushby less than 24 hours away from completing epic 28-year journey News New safety measures introduced to protect children around banned dog breeds News Hero civilian stabbed in Boots store after 'attempting to stop shoplifter' in broad daylight attack News Thousands of poppy tributes planted as field of Remembrance opens in Staffordshire Exclusive News More than 1,600 migrants cross Channel in four days as multiple boats reach Britain today News Army veteran, 76, takes on 1,000-mile Poppy Express challenge to raise thousands for Royal British Legion News NHS trust invites white staff to sign up to taxpayer-funded 'disrupt racism' course News Bristol Council forced to issue humiliating apology after banning gender critical campaigners News Taxpayers shell out £6.5m NHS bill amid huge surge in trans patients wanting breast removal News British student mocks victims of French riots and incites 'revolt' on live television News Met Police confirms 300 demonstrators arrested after Palestine Action protest outside US embassy News West Saharan migrant charged with attempted rape and theft in Tyneside News Benefits fraudster delivery driver who swindled £172,000 from taxpayer jailed News National Lottery winner FINALLY found after £1million went unclaimed for a month News Ten men jailed for 85 years over supply of cocaine and cannabis across West Yorkshire News British builders who wolf-whistle will be forced to take 'respectful behaviour' training Exclusive News Labour accused of waging 'war on the countryside' as game shooting faces uncertain future