Momentum for reparations

MP praises ex-BBC aristocrat for “putting her money where her mouth is” on reparations for slavery. By

Leah Mahon

REPARATIONS IS not a movement for the “woke” Left, but instead a national effort that the whole of Britain needs to be a part of, a leading MP has said.

Clive Lewis, who is vice chair of the Afrikan Reparations AllParty Parliamentary Group, has urged Rishi Sunak and other Tory MPs to acknowledge the devastating legacy of slavery in the Caribbean and for Britain to confront its colonial past.

The MP for Norwich South, right, told The Voice he is clear about wanting to see the Prime Minister enter into negotiations with Caribbean leaders.

“There is a change taking place at the moment in the fact that this has come on the political agenda partly through the work of Laura Trevelyan and her family.

“Partly now, because the King has also made comments and apologies, which is a critical part of the whole kind of reparations campaign,” he said.

“Now, do I think that’s going to result in Rishi Sunak paying tens of millions of pounds to the Caribbean? No, but we have to remember, there’s likely to be a general election and a possible change of government.”

“There’s nothing wrong with people being aware of the world around them and aware of his tory as it actually is, as opposed to the stories that some people in countries tell themselves.”

The Labour MP continued to praise the efforts of ex-BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan who donated more than £100,000 to Grenada and issued an apol ogy after her aristocratic family were discovered to have owned over 1,000 African slaves on plantations.

Chairman of Grenada Na tional Reparations Commission (GNRC), Arley Gill, said other European families, govern ments and institutions should take note of the gesture.

Mr Lewis, whose own family comes from Grenada, said the now full-time slavery repa rations campaigner put her own BBC pension into the compensation when she simply could have said “good luck” to those supporting the movement.

He added: “Whatever people think of what Laura has done, whether they think it’s tokenism, as far as I’m concerned, she’s put her money where her mouth is.

“There’s nothing on this [movement] for decades, despite Black people campaigning, and all of a sudden, the right white person comes along and says something, and everyone’s interested, and I get that. But that’s not the attitude we should take.

The attitude we should take is this is actually strengthening our argument.”

The CARICOM’s ten-point reparations first launched in 2013 has been guiding the Caribbean’s calls for reparatory justice, however, Mr Lewis says that as the movement gains momentum he understands there are “disparate voices” on what reparations actually look like.

In recent months, there has been backlash from institutions who have attempted to make up for their role in slavery without involving the descendants affected by the decision.

The Church of England apologised for their part in the slave trade and promised to invest £100m to “right their wrongs,” although the sum was not classified as reparations many reparations experts and fellow Caribbeans criticised the move.

Portrait

Actor David Harewood, whose family hail from Barbados, agreed to have a commissioned portrait of himself hung in Harewood House in North Yorkshire in the family home of aristocrats who once enslaved his ancestors. Many hit back at the decision and argued the stately home should be given to the awardwinning actor instead.

Mr Lewis said that in pushing the movement forward supporters needed to challenge “imperial attitude” from institutions who leave out communities directly impacted by the slave trade.

The reparations supporter added reparations look different for islands across the Caribbean who have their own individual stories of slavery, including former colonies in South America.

David Denny, General Secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration in Barbados, said the reparations movement has galvanised since the summer of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and when

Barbados became a republic.

“There are different conditions and different relationships. I could speak more directly to what we in the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, we are demanding reparation from MP Richard Drax,” he said.

“We feel reparations should have been paid not to any one institution, but that it should be used to develop a very poor and powerless working class in Barbados, specifically in St George.

“Things like schools can be upgraded, polyclinics can be upgraded to become hospitals with a lot of technical support.

Infrastructure in relation to rules

RAISING AWARENESS: King Charles is shown The World Reimagined Globes on a visit to Leeds –the globes transform how we understand the Transatlantic slave trade; left, exBBC journalist Laura Trevelyan, whose aristocratic family owned over 1,000 slaves, donated more than £100,000 to Grenada

(photos: Getty Images) can be upgraded, poor people’s houses, upgraded, academic scholarships can be offered to people, especially to the very poor communities in Barbados.”

Mr Lewis said he is working closely with fellow Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy on the Afrikan Reparations APPG as the movement builds momentum, adding the group could consider setting up a separate division for Caribbean reparations specifically.

Connections

As the definition of what reparations actually is becomes clearer, Mr Lewis is also building connections with the CARICOM and other islands in the Caribbean, including the island of his own heritage, Grenada.

“My dad’s over the moon that I’m picking up and running with this [the reparations movement]. My family is very proud that I’m doing this, it’s an opportunity that if it wasn’t for him and the family that came over here, to give me the opportunities and chance to end up in this place to then do that then I wouldn’t be able to do this.

“Whilst many of my brothers and sisters haven’t had the same opportunities that I have had, part of the process of being here is to put down the ladder and bring up as many people as possible and challenge this country on the issue of reparations and apology as part of that process.”

Healthy Lifestyles

There are healthy habits that ideally, we will start in childhood and carry through adulthood and these can reduce of the risk of heart disease and diabetes. But even if we haven’t always done these, starting today can still make a difference. Ethnic inequalities in health remains a concern and it is noted that Black people in the UK are up to three times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than people of White European heritage.

So, it’s important to eat a balanced diet and stay active. It’s recommended that all adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical (or 75 minutes vigorous intensity) activity each week. If you’re aged over 65, its recommended that you are physically active every day. And this could be going for a run or dancing, but it could also be yoga, gardening, a walk, or a seated workout.

If you haven’t done these before or it’s been a while, getting advice from a health professional at your local GP practice can help you to make these changes safely. This is especially important if you have a medical condition, have recently been ill or in hospital.

If you’re at risk of type 2 diabetes your GP practice might give you access to the free Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme or, if you need help to manage your weight, have diabetes and/or high blood pressure ask them or a local pharmacist about the Digital Weight Management Programme.

You can get NHS help to give up smoking, vaping or reduce how much alcohol you drink. Talk to your GP practice or pharmacist, or look online at NHS.uk

Screening

NHS screening saves lives and can also identify people at risk of serious, treatable health problems early, often before you notice symptoms.

 NHS cervical screening checks for highrisk human papillomavirus (HPV) in women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64. HPV can cause abnormal cells to develop, which if left untreated, can turn into cancer. You’ll get a letter in the post inviting you to make an appointment.

 NHS breast cancer screening is offered every three years to women from the age of 50 to 71, while women aged 71 or over can self-refer once every three years. It looks for cancers too small to see or feel.

 NHS bowel cancer screening is offered every two years to people aged 60 to 74 who are sent a home testing kit, called a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT kit for short). This is gradually being expanded to include people aged 50 to 59. People aged 75 and over can also request a kit. And these kits are used to collect a tiny sample of poo which is analysed for traces of blood that could be a sign of cancer.

 Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is offered to men during the year they turn 65 to detect abdominal aortic aneurysms (a dangerous swelling in the aorta). Men over 65 can self-refer.

 Diabetic eye screening is offered yearly to anyone aged 12 and over who has diabetes, to checks for problems which can lead to sight loss if not found early.

For more information on any of these, visit the NHS website at nhs.uk

Vaccinations

Vaccinations work to help the body develop anti-bodies to a disease, teaching the body’s immune system to recognise and react if exposed to the bacteria or virus which causes it. They can also help reduce the spread of diseases.

Across our lifetime, the NHS offers different vaccinations, which have all been rigorously tested. They include:

 the flu jab, which last year was offered from 50 years of age.

 at 65 years or over you will be offered a single pneumococcal vaccination, sometimes called the pneumonia vaccine. This may also be given at a younger age if you have a health condition which puts you more at risk or have a weakened immune system.

 at 70 years, you will be offered a oneoff vaccine to prevent shingles.

COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

NHS Covid vaccines have saved countless lives and helped us to live with the virus without restrictions. But the virus is still making people very ill, and protection against Covid (either from catching the virus or from a previous vaccination) fades over time.

So, this spring, the NHS is offering booster vaccinations to those at greatest risk of severe illness from the virus, namely:

 residents in older adult care homes

 people aged 75 and over, and

 people with a weakened immune system.

Also, if you are aged 18+ and haven’t had your first or second jab yet, you can still get these doses until 30 June. I advise you to book yours now.

If you are eligible for a Covid vaccination, you can book by:

 using the NHS App

 visiting nhs.uk/CovidVaccination, or

 calling 119 for free.

Some areas also offer convenient walk-in options – find out what is available at nhs. uk/vaccine-walk-in. Make sure you and your loved ones get any extra protection you need this spring.

Nichole Mcintosh

Nichole is the Regional Head of Nursing at NHS England, London. She is also an Honorary Visiting Professor at City, University of London and is passionate about promoting the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in all her work. NHS.UK/CovidVaccinations