British comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry has sparked controversy by advocating for a massive reparations programme that would see every black person in the UK receive compensation funded by the taxpayer.
The 67-year-old entertainer makes the case in his new book, The Big Payback, which proposes Britain should hand over £18 trillion to address the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The compensation would flow not merely to former colonies in the Caribbean, but directly into the pockets of black British citizens.
Writing in the book, co-authored alongside television executive Marcus Ryder who heads diversity initiatives, Sir Lenny declares: “All black British people need reparations for slavery. We personally deserve money for the effects of slavery.”
Modern inequality blamed entirely on historical slave trade
The authors build their argument on the premise that contemporary racial disparities stem directly from Britain’s involvement in the slave trade centuries ago. According to their thesis, today’s racism exists as a direct consequence of that dark chapter in history.
Sir Lenny specifically points to statistics showing black Britons are disproportionately represented in prison populations and face higher unemployment rates compared to other demographics. The book attributes these social inequalities entirely to the transatlantic slave trade’s lingering effects.
Notably, the vast majority amongst Britain’s 2.4 million black residents trace their ancestry to Africa directly rather than through Caribbean slave populations. The book does not explicitly address this demographic reality, instead maintaining that all individuals of African descent deserve financial redress because racism affects them universally.
Radical restructuring of Western civilisation proposed
The Faber-published volume, hitting shelves on 9th October, goes beyond simple monetary transfers. The authors envision reparations as a tool for “ridding the world of racism” through fundamental societal transformation.
Their manifesto demands the complete dismantling of Western society’s current structures, which they characterise as fundamentally rooted in slavery and systemic racism. In their place, entirely “new foundations” would be constructed through aggressive “redistribution” of power both domestically and internationally.
Astronomical sums calculated from “mental anguish” and lost wages
The staggering £18 trillion figure represents Britain’s portion of a much larger global calculation. The authors cite the Brattle Report, produced by the Brattle Group consultancy, which assessed reparations owed for transatlantic chattel slavery across the Americas and Caribbean regions.
That study arrived at a mind-boggling $100 trillion total (approximately £74.5 trillion) by monetising intangible harms including “loss of liberty” and “mental anguish” alongside more concrete calculations of wages enslaved people never received.
Divisive voices feature prominently
The publication features contributions from several polarising figures in Britain’s race debate. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who leads the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, adds her voice to the text.
Perhaps most controversially, the book includes material from Kehinde Andrews, who holds the distinction of being Britain’s inaugural professor of “black studies” at Birmingham City University. Andrews has generated substantial backlash for inflammatory statements including his characterisation of Winston Churchill as representing “the perfect embodiment of white supremacy.”
The academic has publicly argued that the British Empire inflicted greater damage than Nazi Germany, claiming Britain’s colonial project “lasted longer and killed more people” than Hitler’s regime. His other contentious assertions include branding the St George’s Cross flag as “racist” and describing Royal Air Force personnel who conducted bombing campaigns against Nazi Germany as “war criminals.
Part of coordinated international campaign
The book’s publication timing aligns with intensifying global pressure on former colonial powers. Just last month, the African Union threw its weight behind demands for European nations to provide what it termed “meaningful reparations.”
The pan-African organisation specifically called out “former colonial powers” to compensate for the systematic exploitation of African people and resources throughout the nineteenth century and beyond.
Whitehall stands firm against demands
Despite mounting pressure from various quarters, successive British governments have maintained a consistent stance rejecting reparations proposals. This position holds firm under Sir Keir Starmer’s current Labour administration, continuing the policy established by previous prime ministers.
Officials acknowledge the abhorrent nature of Britain’s historical participation in the slave trade whilst arguing against direct financial compensation schemes. Instead, the Government emphasises educational initiatives to ensure future generations understand this troubling historical legacy.
Ironic historical parallel highlighted
The authors draw attention to a glaring historical injustice that underpins their argument. When Parliament abolished slavery throughout the British Empire in 1833, the Government borrowed enormous sums to compensate slave owners for losing their human “property.”
This debt to former slave owners remained on the Government’s books until final repayment occurred in 2015. The cruel irony means British taxpayers, potentially including descendants of enslaved people, continued servicing this debt for nearly two centuries. Meanwhile, the freed enslaved people and their descendants never received a penny.
Nation braces for polarising debate
The book’s arrival guarantees fierce debate across Britain’s already fractured discourse on race, history and national identity. Advocates argue that persistent wealth gaps and social disadvantages affecting black communities worldwide trace directly to slavery and colonial exploitation’s enduring economic impacts.
Opponents counter that imposing colossal financial obligations on today’s taxpayers for injustices committed generations before they were born raises serious questions of fairness and practicality. They particularly note that most black Britons are either recent immigrants or descended from post-war arrivals rather than enslaved populations.
The reparations controversy forms part of broader culture wars engulfing debates about Britain’s imperial legacy, from contested monuments commemorating figures linked to slavery to ongoing curriculum battles over how colonial history is taught in schools.
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Image Credit:
Sir Lenny Henry signing books — photo by unknown / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0
