UK Poll: 60% Back Apology for Descendants of Enslaved People

A recent poll in the UK revealed that 60% of respondents believe that the descendants of enslaved people are owed a formal apology. The survey also showed differing levels of support for apologies from the government, companies that benefitted from slavery, and the royal family.

A recent survey conducted in the UK has revealed that 60% of the population believes that Caribbean nations and descendants of enslaved people should receive a formal apology from the government, the royal family, or companies that profited from exploitation. The survey, released on the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, will be presented to ministers in parliament by the Repair Campaign, a group advocating for a formal response to the historical atrocities in the Caribbean.

The poll, which included 2,016 participants representative of the UK population, found that younger age groups and Black individuals showed particularly strong support for a formal apology. Among those who supported the idea, 56% believed that the government should issue the apology, 51% believed that organizations and companies that historically profited should apologize, and 38% believed that the royal family should apologize. Additionally, 19% of respondents believed that all of these groups should offer an apology.

Denis O’Brien, an Irish businessman and founder of the Repair Campaign, expressed his satisfaction with the level of support for an apology in the UK. He emphasized that the government and monarchy can no longer ignore the calls for reparatory justice, as the country’s wealth was built upon the exploitation of free labor, lands, and the highly profitable gains from slavery.

ALSO READ: Wars In Africa Are A Threat To US  Report Says

The survey also found that 40% of participants agreed that Caribbean nations should receive financial compensation to address the lasting effects of slavery and colonialism, while 50% disagreed. Among respondents with a Caribbean background, the majority agreed with the statement, although 27% were uncertain. Furthermore, more than half of those who agreed believed that the UK government should be responsible for providing the compensation.

The statement made by Clive Lewis, a Labour MP, highlights the positive and progressive stance that many of our fellow citizens have on the issue of reparatory justice. These results provide a clear indication of the open-mindedness and reason that exists within our society.

This serves as a strong foundation to initiate a nationwide conversation about addressing the unresolved consequences of slavery and empire, which span over 400 years. It is encouraging to see these results, as they contradict the claims made by certain politicians and individuals on the right. It is evident that the British public is ready and willing to engage in this important dialogue.

According to the poll, 56% of people expressed their knowledge about the UK’s involvement in slavery for more than 300 years, while approximately half of the respondents acknowledged the lasting impact of slavery and colonialism.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for governments, institutions, and individuals to take responsibility for their role in transatlantic slavery. In 2023, the Scott Trust, which owns The Guardian newspaper, issued an apology for its founders’ connections to transatlantic slavery, primarily through the textile trade.

MORE STORIES:Reparations and reparative justice

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Afrikan reparations, emphasized that these figures demonstrate a deep resonance with the British public regarding the need for a public apology. As attitudes towards race and the legacy of empire evolve, especially among young people, such an apology is viewed as more than just a symbolic gesture.

A formal apology is deemed necessary by 60% of respondents in a UK poll, who believe that the descendants of enslaved individuals deserve it.