NoYo

John Amaechi, "The question is provocative" #BBCQT Lady in red, "Is it fair people in poverty in Liverpool today are being asked to pay reparations for historical injustices they played no part in?" John Amaechi, "Do we want poor people anywhere to have to pay more? No" "The British 'we' is so intriguing to me. We are proud of our maritime history.. We become a little bit more callow when we discuss what was in the holds of the ships" "We become more circumspect when all of a sudden people are saying: extracting wealth form people at any stage will have an impact on them in every stage" "This is not about guilt. Is there a conscientious way we can consider that wrongs done in the name of the thing we currently have, that we may consider those" Fiona Bruce, "Should we be paying reparations?" John Amaechi, "There are sensible ways to consider, whether it be tax relief, or debt relief" "Because 2015 was when the gilt was finally paid off, that was used to pay the slave owners off" My view: Britain paid £20 million in compensation to slave owners between 1835 and 1843, around 40% of annual government spending at the time. Historic England estimates its modern equivalent at approximately £16.5 billion. The enslaved received no compensation. Generations of taxpayers serviced the borrowing used to compensate their owners, with the associated government bonds finally redeemed in 2015. Putting poor people in Liverpool on one side of this debate, and poor people in countries affected by slavery on the other, creates a choice we do not have to accept. Neither should have to bear the cost of injustices that enriched others. Nobody inherits personal guilt. But wealth, land, assets and advantages can pass down through generations. If institutions continue to benefit from wealth accumulated through exploitation, it is reasonable to ask what responsibility comes with that inheritance. Reparations could mean those institutions helping fund hospitals, schools, clean water systems and other infrastructure in affected countries. They could include debt relief, scholarships and investment directed by the communities concerned. A serious conversation would ask who benefited, who should contribute and what would make a lasting difference. Concern for people struggling in Britain should help shape those answers, rather than close the discussion.