London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Hasten your footsteps on reparations, constitutional review

Hasten your footsteps on reparations, constitutional review

The Virgin Islands government has been called on to act swiftly to review the territory’s Constitution and move forward on the issue of reparations from the United Kingdom (UK).

That advice is coming from Government Consultant and host of the Honestly Speaking Radio Programme, Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline.

“I want to call on the government to hasten their own steps in the formation of this constitutional review; to hasten their steps of what the Premier said he would do some weeks ago about forming a Reparations Committee that can be joined with our Caribbean brothers and sisters that we can together be a force in representing our position to the so-called powers that be, France, the United Kingdom, all of them,” he said on his show aired on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, on ZBVI 780Am and live-streamed on Facebook.


The matter of reparations was raised on September 7, 2020, when Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert told 284 Media in an interview that despite the United Kingdom recognising that the transatlantic slave trade was a horrific period, the UK has not committed to paying up.


Skelton-Cline said, referring to reparations that “it is together we are stronger. Unified we can put forward a more effective case on these matters. We must hasten the steps.”

Plans have commenced to review the Constitution with a view of identifying loopholes in the existing document and reviewing the vision of the people of the territory.

Meanwhile, Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said he too backs the rest of the region in its attempt at seeking reparations from Britain.

He also said the territory should consider renaming the Sir Francis Drake Channel and the like as the territory moves away from its dark past to become a more independent jurisdiction.


Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie has said he too backs the rest of the region in its attempt at seeking reparations from Britain

Slave masters were compensated!


Premier Fahie bemoaned that the slave masters were compensated by the United Kingdom in the sum of £20 million in 1833, yet the descendants of slaves, have yet to be paid.

The matter of reparations was raised on September 7, 2020, when Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert told 284 Media in an interview that despite the UK recognising that the transatlantic slave trade was a horrific period, the UK has not committed to paying up.

He said: “That’s not a position that the United Kingdom has taken.”

In response, Premier Fahie had said, Mr Jaspert’s comments are reflective of the perception of how the UK views the people of the territory.

He then wrote to Minister for the Overseas Territories Baronness Elizabeth G. Sugg on the matter on September 14, 2020.

However, Sugg said she was in support of Governor Jaspert’s statements.

“The British government expresses deep regret for this country’s past role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. We recognise fully the strong sense of injustice, and the legacy of slavery still felt in the most affected parts of the world. We feel that the most effective way for Britons today to respond is to ensure that future generations do not forget what happened and to work to ensure that slavery has no place in today’s world,” Sugg replied on September 18, 2020.

In commenting on the letter, Fahie said, it was disappointing that it is apparent that the UK believes a “statement of regret” is sufficient for the enslavement of people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×