Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, has sharply criticised the British government for abstaining from a United Nations vote on slavery reparations, questioning why the UK would sidestep a decision that could potentially cost taxpayers billions.
Badenoch tweeted her disapproval, stating: “Russia, China, and Iran vote with others to demand trillions in reparations from UK taxpayers… and the Labour government abstains!” She further challenged the government, asking, “Britain led the fight to end slavery. Why didn’t Starmer’s representative vote against this? Ignorance… or cowardice?”
She emphasised, “We shouldn’t be paying for a crime we helped eradicate and continue to fight today.”
The controversy follows the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of a landmark motion, backed by 123 countries, calling for reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. The motion describes the trade as one of the gravest crimes against humanity and encourages nations to engage in structured dialogue to address the ongoing social, economic, and cultural consequences of slavery.
Ghana celebrated the motion as a major diplomatic success and a critical step toward global recognition of historical injustices against Africans. Several African nations, including Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Liberia, Kenya, and Congo, supported the resolution, alongside countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus, and India.
Opposition and abstention came from powerful nations. The United States, Argentina, and Israel voted against it, while 52 countries—including major European powers such as France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and Cyprus—chose to abstain. A US representative called the African Union-backed framework “highly problematic,” citing uncertainty about who would benefit from reparations, even while acknowledging the historical wrongs of slavery.
Titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity,” the motion is part of the African Union’s Decade of Action on Reparations and African Heritage (2026–2036). It represents one of the United Nations’ most comprehensive efforts to formally confront the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, even as Badenoch’s comments underscore deep divisions among global leaders over reparations.
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