Andy Burnham told to IGNORE Commonwealth 'grifters' over slavery compensation claims: 'Ludicrous!'

Tap a highlight to see why it matters.3 findings

Andy Burnham told to IGNORE Commonwealth 'grifters' over slavery compensation claims: 'Ludicrous!' Andrew Griffith sat down on Chopper's Political Podcast Sign up to the Politics 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 The Labour Government should stop listening to Commonwealth "grifter" leaders over their "ludicrous" demand for slavery reparations, Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith has told GB News. Mr Griffith said the Commonwealth could be a "massive opportunity" for the UK to use "soft power" globally, adding the UK could sign a "trade preference agreement" with other Commonwealth countries to "help each other (and) grow our collective prosperity".

Mr Griffith was speaking in the wake of a stormy Commonwealth summit in the Caribbean in which Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, was repeatedly pressed to issue a formal apology for the UK's involvement in the trade centuries ago. Mr Burnham has insisted no reparations will be paid out but has now ordered formal structural talks to start, which critics fear could lead to the UK having to pay out billions of pounds in compensation. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say However, Mr Griffith said it was "ludicrous" for the UK to consider paying out compensation to countries whose citizens were victims of slavery.

Mr Griffith told Chopper's Political Podcast: "Everyone needs to move on "There is just no point going all the way back into ancient history. "I've got Italian relatives. Andrew Griffith spoke in the wake of a stormy Commonwealth summit in the Caribbean | GB NEWS "Do I want them to apologise for Rome conquering the United Kingdom? "Bad things happen in history... bad things are happening now. "And whereas none of us in positions of leadership can change what's happened in the past.

"Even an apology doesn't change what's happened." LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Andy Burnham set to delay watered-down 10-year plan in humiliating blow for PM Nigel Farage set to lead Brexit fightback with shock return to Brussels: 'I'm up for it!' Hotel owners to face FOURTEEN years in prison for evading Angela Rayner's 'tourist tax' Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted no reparations will be paid out | PA However, Mr Griffith said some of the Commonwealth's leaders were "grifters" who were using their position to pressure Mr Burnham to demand financial compensation over the UK's historic links to slavery.

Mr Griffith added: "My own personal view: the Commonwealth is a massive opportunity, a massive soft power." However, he added: "Look, it's got some people in it, right? I mean, there's some grifter leaders from some countries; that happens. "The counterpoint I would say is we need a positive agenda for the Commonwealth that is somewhat of an Anglosphere. "We've got, in some cases, shared history and heritage. "Some of the members of the Commonwealth shed their blood for our freedoms.

"Let's turn that into something really positive. "Let's try and think about how you can turn that into trade preference agreement... how we could do deals to help each other (and) grow our collective prosperity." Listen to Chopper's Political Podcast on GB News' YouTube channel, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Live Politics Andy Burnham risks fresh Cabinet rift with major EU migration offer as PM ‘irritated’ Politics Nigel Farage reveals Remembrance Sunday plan after huge row over 'Establishment Cenotaph ban' Politics Andy Burnham will now force bosses to declare salaries on job advertisements Politics Nigel Farage turns on Donald Trump over Iran war before admitting midterms blunder Politics Nigel Farage hits back at 'utter b******s' Russia claims before warning Vladimir Putin poses huge threat Politics Andy Burnham's post-Brexit trade deal 'could drive up price of fresh fruit and vegetables' Politics Nigel Farage set to lead Brexit fightback with shock return to Brussels: 'I'm up for it!'

Politics Nigel Farage hits out at 'jiggery-pokery' polls showing Reform sliding behind Tories: 'It's nonsense!' Politics Andy Burnham set to delay watered-down 10-year plan in humiliating blow for PM Politics Hotel owners to face FOURTEEN years in prison for evading Angela Rayner's 'tourist tax' Politics British taxpayers could be slapped with £5.2BILLION-a-year bill as a result of Labour's migration U-turn Politics Labour voters back UK's biggest untapped oil field despite Ed Miliband's 'climate vandalism' attack Politics Billions squandered on post-Brexit food checks as red tape finally faces axe Politics Nigel Farage vows to pardon veterans dragged to court 'merely for doing their job' Politics EU could STOP Andy Burnham deporting migrant criminals as Brexit surrender plot leaked Politics Nigel Farage appoints Troubles veteran who braved 'most dangerous posting for British Army' as Reform's defence chief Politics Labour agrees to 'structured, time-bound and inclusive' talks to address transatlantic slave trade Politics Labour REFUSES to commit to slashing ballooning benefits bill over next decade during PMQs grilling Politics Andy Burnham told by Conservative MPs to 'protect vital pipelines from Russian threats' Politics Andy Burnham blasted by Martin Daubney for Caribbean steel drum stunt 'as UK goes down the swanny' Politics North Sea oil ban moves closer as Labour presses ahead with 'landmark' energy bill Politics What plan?

Andy Burnham's flagship ten-year vision 'a lot thinner than expected' Politics Charities that lobbied Shabana Mahmood to water down immigration rules received more than £1bn in taxpayers' cash Politics Ed Miliband says slavery apology will NOT cost British taxpayers despite Andy Burnham set to hand over £40MILLION Politics Sadiq Khan revels in Donald Trump’s crushing Midterms defeat amid bitter feud with US President Politics Shabana Mahmood to unveil controversial expansion of facial recognition technology in 'biggest-ever migration crackdown' Politics Nigel Farage faces crunch by-election in seaside town as Reform UK promises to send 'undeniable shockwave' Politics Plaid Cymru spent £25,000 on beekeeping classes for disabled Ugandans Politics Labour considers major shake-up of renewables scheme amid fears over rising energy costs Politics Nigel Farage issues stark warning to Andy Burnham amid plans for 'Brexit sell-out'

Read the original article on gbnews.com

What we found (3)

GB News turns a Shadow Chancellor's passing remark that some Commonwealth countries have "grifter leaders" into a headline branding the Commonwealth leaders who press for slavery reparations as 'grifters'. In its own paraphrase it ties the label to the reparations demand, which Griffith's quoted words never do. It also lets unnamed critics raise a fear of billions in compensation, and gives no Commonwealth leader or reparations advocate any space to answer.

Headline goes beyond the article
Minor
“Commonwealth 'grifters' over slavery compensation claims”
Why this matters
The headline puts 'grifters' in quotation marks next to "Commonwealth" and "slavery compensation claims". This makes the word a label for the Commonwealth leaders who are pressing for reparations.
The impression it gives
Andrew Griffith called the Commonwealth leaders seeking slavery compensation grifters, and the headline is reporting that charge.
The context
The only quoted use of the word is Griffith saying "there's some grifter leaders from some countries; that happens". That remark is a general aside about the Commonwealth's membership. In the quoted words he does not connect it to the reparations claims. The headline also turns his view into an instruction to "IGNORE", a word his quoted remarks never use.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“there's some grifter leaders from some countries; that happens”
- Elsewhere in the article“Look, it's got some people in it, right?”
Show it in the article
“were using their position to pressure Mr Burnham to demand financial compensation”
Why this matters
In its own paraphrase, GB News says the "grifters" were using their position to pressure Mr Burnham over compensation. It attaches a motive and an act to the label.
The impression it gives
Griffith said the grifter leaders are the ones exploiting their position to extract reparations from the UK.
The context
None of Griffith's quoted words say this. His quoted remark names no leader, no country and no link to compensation. The tie between the insult and the reparations demand appears only in GB News's paraphrase.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“I mean, there's some grifter leaders”
- Elsewhere in the article“the Commonwealth is a massive opportunity, a massive soft power”
Show it in the article
Unnamed critics carry an unsourced figure
Minor
“critics fear could lead to the UK having to pay out billions of pounds in compensation”
Why this matters
GB News lets unnamed "critics" raise the prospect of "billions of pounds" in compensation. It gives no source and no basis for the figure.
The impression it gives
The talks are likely to cost the UK billions.
The context
The article names no critic and gives no basis for billions. Its own linked material reports Ed Miliband saying the apology will not cost taxpayers, and mentions a figure of £40 million, not billions.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“Ed Miliband says slavery apology will NOT cost British taxpayers”
Show it in the article
One side gets the space
Minor
“There is just no point going all the way back into ancient history”
Why this matters
Griffith's dismissal of the slave trade as "ancient history" stands with nothing set against it. His remarks fill the rest of the piece.
The impression it gives
The only view worth hearing is that reparations and an apology are pointless.
The context
The article quotes no Commonwealth leader, no reparations advocate and no government voice. This leaves the people Griffith calls grifters with no reply in a story about their demands.
Show it in the article

Spot something we missed? Report this article

More from GB News

Everything we scored from GB News

Andy Burnham told to IGNORE Commonwealth 'grifters' over slavery compensation claims: 'Ludicrous!'

Headline goes beyond the article

Unnamed critics carry an unsourced figure

One side gets the space

More from GB News