Latest news with #BellRibeiroAddy
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Caribbean slavery reparations group takes fight to Westminster and Brussels
Global campaigning for slavery reparations gathered pace this week with lobbying in Westminster and Brussels, days after the Jamaican government revealed it will ask King Charles to request legal advice on the issue. On Tuesday, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Afrikan Reparations, a group of UK MPs and peers calling for an apology and reparative justice for the historical and ongoing impact of slavery and colonialism, hosted an independent delegation of Caribbean researchers and activists who are lobbying for reparations. Diane Abbott MP, Dawn Butler MP, Paulette Hamilton MP, Juliet Campbell MP, Lady Margaret Curran and Lord Marvin Rees were among those who met with the delegation in Westminster, days after the Jamaican government announced plans to ask King Charles to request legal advice from the privy council on slavery reparations. The Westminster event came the day after meetings in Brussels, where delegates, hosted by the Irish MEP Seán Kelly, met MEPs from the European parliament's political groups to build support for reparations from former colonial powers. The Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, chair of the APPG, said the Westminster meeting 'made it very clear that reparations were not a fringe issue' dominated by British activists, but a matter of global significance, adding that Jamaica's approach to King Charles was 'key'. She said: 'I think it's important that people are moving forward with legal remedies, because ultimately enslavement was ended with the law, the reparations to slave owners happened under the law, and so reparations to those affected must happen under legislation.' The lobbying event was organised by the Repair Campaign, an independent group funded by the Irish telecoms billionaire Denis O'Brien, which commissioned the researchers to produce plans for what reparations might look like in different Caribbean countries. According to the Repair Campaign, the plans, which are unofficial, received support from representatives of Portugal, Italy, Spain, Denmark, France and Ireland during a meeting with members of the European parliament in Brussels on Tuesday. Acting outside the scope of the complex diplomatic negotiations of Commonwealth nations, Repair has been able to produce them with relative speed – in three years – hopeful that they will support the broader case from Caribbean and African politicians. O'Brien, who founded the major Caribbean mobile phone network Digicel, said the Repair Campaign had spoken to, among others, governments, groups such as Heirs of Slavery, Indigenous communities, Jamaican Maroons and Rastafarians, and had aligned '15 fully costed economic and social development plans' drawn up by University of the West Indies academics, with a 10-point plan for reparatory justice by Caricom, the grouping of 20 countries in the Caribbean and the Americas. 'We've gone to government departments in the Caribbean and said, 'what would you do if you had the budget to transform your country?' And they've talked about land rights, justice, education, health service, culture and memorialisation, judicial reform and human rights and debt cancellation,' O'Brien said at the Westminster event, adding that the programmes were tailored to each island's circumstances, with Haiti needing extra 'for roads, water and electricity'. He believes the European Union and the British Ggovernment should each fund 50% of the plan, 'because they're both equally culpable'. At the same time, Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the Caricom Reparations Movement (CRC), issued a statement on Wednesday in response to media reporting about 'a Caribbean group visiting Britain and the European Union with a reparations agenda'. It clarified that 'these persons who have arrived in Europe are neither members of the CRC nor formally affiliated'. The statement added that the CRC would be launching a 'European public relations campaign to share its vision of reparations with political stakeholders and the general public'. The issue of reparations for transatlantic slavery has been heating up over the last year, dominating headlines in October when the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, resisted pressure from member states to include reparations on the agenda at the Commonwealth summit. Pressure is intensifying from different sections of the global reparations movement on European countries involved in the kidnap, trafficking, forced labour, torture and sexual exploitation of millions of enslaved African peoples over a 300-year period. Caribbean leaders have remained resolute in their pursuit of justice, with Barbados's prime minister, Mia Mottley, stressing the importance of a face-to-face discussion on the issue and the prime minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, pointing to 'legal avenues … if the negotiations fail'. In June it emerged that Jamaica was seeking legal remedy, asking King Charles, who remains the island's head of state, to use his authority to request legal advice from the judicial committee of the London-based privy council, the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries, on whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful, if it constituted a crime against humanity, and whether Britain was under obligation to provide a remedy to Jamaica for slavery and its enduring consequences. Responding to questions about whether King Charles is obliged to honour Jamaica's request, the deputy chair of the country's National Reparations Council, Bert Samuels, said if King Charles, who is part of the monarchy that benefited from slavery, refuses to refer the issue or if the privy council does not come back giving 'positive recognition to the three questions' there would be a global 'avalanche of criticism' of Britain. He added that the toppling of the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol in 2020 anti-racism protests was evidence of 'an across-the-board rejection for the celebration of the slave trade, no matter how long ago it was'. Samuels added that Jamaica may take the matter to the international courts if it fails to get justice in Britain's legal system.
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
United Kingdom (UK) Trade Envoy Visits Ghana to Deepen Bilateral Economic Relations
The British High Commission Accra is pleased to announce that Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the UK's Trade Envoy to Ghana, will undertake her first official visit to Ghana from 19 –22 May 2025. The four-day mission will include engagements in Accra and Kumasi, underscoring the UK's commitment to deepening bilateral trade relations and fostering economic growth. Appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January 2025, Ms. Ribeiro-Addy is part of the UK government's global network of Trade Envoys, working to promote British trade interests in over 70 countries. Her visit to Ghana marks a significant milestone in her role and reflects the UK's strategic focus on strengthening partnerships across Africa. During her visit, Ms. Ribeiro-Addy will meet with a range of high-level stakeholders, including: Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Minister of Finance Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Hon. Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education Senior government officials, traditional leaders, and academic representatives UK businesses operating in Ghana and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) These discussions will focus on expanding trade and investment opportunities, enhancing economic cooperation, and identifying areas for mutual growth. In Kumasi, Ms. Ribeiro-Addy will tour two major UK Export Finance (UKEF)-backed projects: the Kumasi Airport and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital maternity block. These initiatives highlight the UK's ongoing support for infrastructure development in Ghana's Ashanti Region. She will also host a roundtable with the Women's Parliamentary Caucus, aimed at fostering collaboration on gender-inclusive economic development and leadership. Ms. Ribeiro-Addy said: "I am honoured to represent the UK in Ghana and look forward to engaging with our Ghanaian partners. This visit is an important step in strengthening our trade relations and exploring new avenues for collaboration. I am confident that our discussions will pave the way for a brighter economic future for both our countries." British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, added: "We are thrilled to welcome Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP to Ghana. Her visit reflects our shared commitment to building stronger international partnerships, promoting global trade, and realising a vision of inclusive prosperity." Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Starmer's migrant rhetoric: a squalid chapter?
Keir Starmer has defended the language he used in a speech on immigration this week. But many Labour MPs have criticised his choice of words, with some even claiming the prime minister's language echoed that of Enoch Powell. John Harris speaks to the Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy about why she and others are so concerned. Plus, who is writing the script, literally and figuratively? The Guardian's Gaby Hinsliff and Kiran Stacey discuss
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New post office opens in Clapham with postal and banking services
A new post office has opened in Clapham Park Road, restoring vital services to the community. The branch, located at 82-84 Clapham Park Road, was officially opened by Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill. The new post office offers a modern, open-plan retail environment and is open 56 hours a week. This new branch will provide a range of services, including bill payment, cash withdrawals, foreign currency, postage, and home shopping collections and returns. Clapham Park welcomes new post office after closure sparks local campaign. (Image: Post Office) Customers of the main UK banks can also access their accounts at the new branch, restoring banking services to the area. The branch also features an eye-catching mural on the post office shutters, which can be admired after hours. The opening of the new post office follows the closure of the directly managed branch at Clapham Common in March 2024. The premises at 161-163 Clapham High Street were deemed unsustainable due to the need for investment. The new Clapham Park Road post office is run by a highly experienced and well-regarded postmaster family, the Shahs. Shah family unveils vibrant new post office with mural tribute to Sox (Image: Post Office) Krishan Shah, a second-generation postmaster, leads the family, who have been running busy London post offices since 1987. The branch has four post office counters, one full-screened, two open-plan, and a post office counter alongside the retail counter of the cards and stationery store. This is large enough to meet the needs of the community. Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP said: "The closure of Clapham Common Post Office was a real blow to our community. "The decision to close this busy branch attracted widespread local opposition and triggered a community campaign to protect local postal services. "I welcome the opening of the new Clapham Park Post Office, which will provide a wide range of services to plug this gap. "I want to thank postmaster Krishan Shah and his family for their big investment into the new branch, which looks great inside and out with some fantastic artwork on the shutters." The Clapham Park Road branch offers a wide range of post office services, including driving licence renewals, ID verification, and vehicle tax renewal, excluding passports. With no banks in the area after four closures in recent years, the branch provides a convenient location for businesses and residents to do their everyday banking and withdraw cash during the post office's opening hours. Customers can also post letters and parcels, and collect and return online shopping items. Noah Rai, Post Office Area Change Manager, said: "We're delighted Clapham Park Road Post Office has opened. "It's operated by a well-respected independent postmaster family. "With no banks or ATMs in this vicinity, it provides a convenient location for businesses and residents to do their everyday banking and for people to withdraw cash during the Post Office's opening hours. "It provides a wide range of Post Office services." The premises were formerly a shisha bar and have been completely refurbished to create spacious, modern premises with new lighting, counters, shelving, and flooring. The mural on the shutters, an anti-graffiti deterrent, was painted by a professional artist with Post Office-themed artwork, co-designed with the postmaster's wife, Aarti. It features a black and white cat, similar to Jess from Postman Pat, but it is their oldest cat, called Sox, who is 16 years old. Krishan Shah said: "We love cats. "As our family's originally from Kenya, we could have featured big cats, but it tied in nicely to feature our black and white cat in the Post Office-themed mural. "The community really loves it. "They admire it when they pass by out of hours. "It's a real talking point."
