Question
Nobody disputes the evil of slavery, but I would caution the Government that they are being somewhat naive about going down the path towards an apology, because I fear that it will be seized on, as other pronouncements have been, by left-wing dominated international institutions and courts for which the ideology of decolonisation and the hostility to Israel is axiomatic. Before we know it, we will find ourselves going down a path whereby a Minister will stand at the Dispatch Box in a few years’ time and say, “I’m terribly sorry—we have no choice but to offer reparations.” We will find ourselves in exactly the same absurd position that the Church of England finds itself in; it is paying £100 million in reparations when its buildings are falling down. Can I urge the Minister not to go down this path? It is a very risky path indeed, as I know from Chagos and other negotiations.
Answer
I have huge respect for the right hon. Gentleman—he is a former Deputy Prime Minister of this country. I do not, however, agree with him on the path that he has somehow managed to weave in this Chamber by focusing on what may or may not happen. This constructive dialogue is time limited with a clear purpose, working with international partners. It is about trying to learn from our history but, crucially, to move forward into the future. As I said in my statement, our position on reparations has not changed.20% point-scoring 20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (27/100)
The reply engages with the subject of the question but does not clearly answer it. It restates the Government's position on reparations and describes a time-limited dialogue with international partners about learning from history, yet it never says whether the Government will rule out, or pursue, an apology. The response is largely hedged, so the person who asked would probably need to submit a follow-up to get a clear answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government refrain from pursuing an apology for slavery, which the member argues could lead to demands for reparations? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never says whether the Government will refrain from pursuing an apology; it restates its position on reparations (seq 5), which the question only raises as a consequence, and describes a time-limited dialogue with international partners about learning from history (seqs 3-4) without stating whether an apology is part of it. It engages the topic area but gives no clear commitment or refusal on the apology itself. |