Last weekend, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis, following a visit by Foreign Minister Baroness Chapman, said the fight for compensation was far from over.
“The word apple is that word,” Bahamas Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He told the Commonwealth Conference: “This is a simple matter. One sentence, one line, and you can get it done.”
Asked how much compensation should be, Mr Mitchell said it was not just a matter of money, but “a matter of respect, acknowledging the past was a wrong that needed to be righted”.
He said member states “want to start a dialogue” but “there seems to be even a reluctance to do so.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Britain had heard calls for slavery reparations “loud and clear” but the Prime Minister was “right” to “focus on the future”.
A UK government spokesperson told the BBC it would not comment on the leaks, but added: “Reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The government’s position has not changed. We do not pay compensation.
“We are focused on using the (Commonwealth Heads of Government) summit to discuss the shared opportunities we can unlock across the Commonwealth, including securing more economic growth.”
Downing Street’s stance that reparative justice was not on the agenda, while technically correct, is understood to have angered some Caribbean ministers when it was clear the issue would be discussed at the summit.
The BBC understands the government’s tone and tone has left some members “further irritated” who did not expect the UK to change its views and “suddenly start pouring in a lot of money”.
Sir Keir Starmer landed in Samoa late Wednesday UK time, becoming the first sitting prime minister to visit the Pacific island nation.
Speaking to reporters along the way, he said he wanted to discuss current issues with Commonwealth leaders, particularly climate change, rather than issues of the past.
“What they are most interested in is whether we can help them work with international financial institutions on the kinds of packages they need right now in relation to the challenges they face,” he said.
“Rather than ending up in a very long, endless discussion about reparations for the past, we will focus on just that.
“Of course slavery is an abomination to everyone. There is no question about trade and practices. But from my perspective… “Rather than spending a lot of time on the past, I think we want to roll up our sleeves and work together on the challenges of the present and the future.”
