Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Reform UK MP Lee Anderson. (Image: GETTY)
Lee Anderson launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after his government failed to prevent a reference to slavery reparations from being included in a joint Commonwealth communique.
And the outspoken Reform UK MP even told the PM to “grow a pair” as he highlighted that British workers had also paid a heavy price during the Industrial Revolution.
The Government has repeatedly ruled out offering reparations or an apology for the UK’s historical involvement in the trade.
However, the final communique signed by Commonwealth leaders acknowledged calls for a discussion on the matter. It said they “agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity”.
Posting on X, Mr Anderson, the Tory MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire and himself a former coal miner said: “Grow A Pair Starmer. Or do us Brits start asking for reparations for sending our ancestral children up chimneys & down the pits.
READ MORE: Britain to engage in talks about reparations for slavery
Lee Anderson’s post on X. (Image: X)
“Just remember this – when the slave trade was happening, we had our own people in this country who were starving, being worked to death whilst living in squalor and dying from all sorts of diseases. When will this madness stop?”
His concerns were echoed by Nigel Farage, his party leader, who claimed: “Keir Starmer has blinked on slave reparations.
“This is the sign of a weak leader. He has given an inch, and they will now take a mile.”
The document said: “Heads, noting calls for discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement, and recognising the importance of this matter to member states of the Commonwealth, the majority of which share common historical experiences in relation to this abhorrent trade, chattel enslavement, the debilitation and dispossession of Indigenous People, indentureship, colonialism, blackbirding and their enduring effects, agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity.
“Heads further agreed to continue playing an active role in bringing about such inclusive conversations addressing these harms, paying special attention to women and girls, who suffered disproportionately from these appalling tragedies in the history of humanity.”
Asked whether the inclusion of such language in the final agreement showed he had lost the argument and damaged the UK’s relations with Commonwealth nations in the process, Sir Keir said: “The theme of the day was chosen by the prime minister here in Samoa, and she chose resilience and climate.
“So, I think, that gives you a clear sense of the absolute priority here, and that’s not surprising.”
He added: “I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that.”
QT: Audience member blasts slavery reparation demands
The call for reparations from the UK by some Commonwealth countries is rooted in the historical impacts of the transatlantic slave trade, in which Britain played a major role, with some arguing the total bill should be a mind-boggling £18 trillion.
From the 16th to the 19th centuries, British slave traders forcibly transported millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribbean, where they were subjected to brutal conditions, forced labour, and the complete denial of basic human rights.
Such actions generated significant wealth for Britain, laying the foundations for its industrial and economic dominance while simultaneously devastating African communities and stunting economic development in the Caribbean and other affected regions.
For many Commonwealth countries, the demand for reparations is seen as an attempt to address this historical injustice and acknowledge the suffering that colonialism and slavery inflicted upon generations of their ancestors.
Opponents, including Mr Anderson and Mr Farage, argue that modern British society should not be held responsible for actions committed centuries ago.
They believe the individuals who participated in and profited from the transatlantic slave trade are long dead, and contemporary Britons should not be financially penalised for historical events beyond their control.
They further contend that it is unreasonable to demand restitution from present-day citizens or governments for actions taken by previous generations, especially since many Britons today are themselves descendants of people who lived in poverty or had no connection to the slave trade.
They add that acknowledging historical injustices should not necessarily entail financial reparations that burden people who may have no direct link to that past.
