A significant proportion of the British public think their Government should meet Caribbean nations to discuss reparatory justice. That’s according to poll results published today (28.10.26) by The Repair Campaign in the lead-up to next week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.
The poll was conducted by More in Common last weekend among a nationally representative sample of Great Britain. It shows support for a meeting between the British Government and Caribbean nations is particularly strong amongst younger people: 60% of those aged 18-24 and over half (51%) of those aged 25-34 support a meeting on reparatory justice.
The poll also shows a majority of Labour Party and Liberal Democrat voters – of all ages – support such a meeting: 58% of those who voted Labour at the last UK General Election are in favour, with 57% of Liberal Democrat voters in support.
Across the population of Great Britain as a whole, 40% support a meeting on reparatory justice, with 19% undecided.
Commenting on the poll, Denis O’Brien, founder of The Repair Campaign, said: “A significant proportion of the British public want to see the Government sitting down with Caribbean nations to discuss the case for reparatory justice. Next week’s CHOGM in Antigua provides the UK Government with an ideal opportunity to show it is ready to open a dialogue on this issue.
“To date, there have been too many unsubstantiated expressions of regret and sorrow about Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, coupled with empty promises – including at the last CHOGM in Samoa – that some sort of dialogue would begin. What is needed now is a full apology and a time-lined commitment to holding talks with Caribbean states.
“At a time when momentum for reparatory justice is building – not only in the Caribbean but across the globe – Britain is out of sync with the rest of the world, and risks alienating Commonwealth nations because of its refusal to engage on this issue. The British Government can no longer run away from, at the very least, sitting down with Caribbean leaders to discuss the case for reparatory justice.”
