Britain REFUSES Jamaica's £7.6bn slavery reparations demand as delegation descends on Buckingham Palace

Britain has refused Jamaica's £7.6billion reparations demand after a delegation descended on Buckingham Palace to pursue redress over the transatlantic slave trade.The Jamaican delegation formally submitted a petition on Monday calling on King Charles, who is the country's head of state, to refer a series of legal questions surrounding slavery and reparations to the Privy Council.The group described the move as the first time a Commonwealth nation had pursued the legal avenue "for the cause of reparatory justice".But Downing Street swiftly ruled out Britain paying reparations. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Our position on reparations is clear. The UK does not and will not pay reparations."The transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent, and of course it's right that we acknowledge the wrongs of the past. But we continue to face forward and work with other countries on current shared challenges."Jamaica has put the value of reparations it is seeking from Britain at £7.6billion.The petition asks the King to refer questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, including whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was lawful under English law.It also asks whether slavery violated international law and whether Britain has a legal obligation to provide redress.Under the Judicial Committee Act 1833, the monarch can refer legal questions to the London-based body for an advisory opinion, although the King would act on the advice of the relevant authorities.Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption dismissed Jamaica's assertion of a legal entitlement to reparations as "nonsense".He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: "I think that they see in the UK a country which has lost its pride in its past, which is riven by self-doubt and guilt, and which is no longer confident in itself, and so they see an opportunity to get some money. I think that it's as simple as that."LATEST DEVELOPMENTSReparations activists push British Museum to hand back Caribbean artefacts despite not being stolenBritain faces 'time of reckoning' as Caribbean envoys arrive in London to demand slavery reparationsBritain told to build statues of Africans, educate children on slavery and be nicer to migrantsJamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange defended the reparations campaign by pointing to the compensation Britain paid slave owners following abolition.Britain allocated £20million to compensate slave owners following the abolition of slavery in 1833, equivalent to around 40 per cent of the Treasury's annual revenue at the time.Ms Grange said: "The question really should be: if in modern times we're still paying back the slave masters for the property that was our people, our ancestors, for property that was because of the abolition of slavery, then why shouldn't we be pursuing some remedy at this time?"The reparations campaign has received backing from Labour MPs including Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy.Ms Ribeiro-Addy last month described the slave trade as "the gravest crime in humanity".She said: "People think reparations is just about money it is not. Reparations means repair. It means healing, it means proper equality in our schools and hospitals. It means how our children get to live."She added: "We are not free until we are all free."The issue is expected to feature prominently at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in the Caribbean in November.Both King Charles and Prime Minister Andy Burnham are expected to attend the gathering.The Jamaican delegation also arranged separate talks with the British Museum over the potential return of cultural artefacts removed from the Caribbean. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter