Andrew Griffith speaks to GB News
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Published:
1793944804
| Updated:
1793944804
The Labour Government should stop listening to Commonwealth “grifter” leaders over their “ludicrous” demand for slavery reparations, Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith has told GB News.
Mr Griffith said the Commonwealth could be a “massive opportunity” for the UK to use “soft power” globally, adding the UK could sign a “trade preference agreement” with other Commonwealth countries to “help each other (and) grow our collective prosperity”.
Mr Griffith was speaking in the wake of a stormy Commonwealth summit in the Caribbean in which Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, was repeatedly pressed to issue a formal apology for the UK’s involvement in the trade centuries ago.
Mr Burnham has insisted no reparations will be paid out but has now ordered formal structural talks to start, which critics fear could lead to the UK having to pay out billions of pounds in compensation.
However, Mr Griffith said it was “ludicrous” for the UK to consider paying out compensation to countries whose citizens were victims of slavery.
Mr Griffith told Chopper’s Political Podcast: “Everyone needs to move on
“There is just no point going all the way back into ancient history.
“I’ve got Italian relatives.
“Do I want them to apologise for Rome conquering the United Kingdom?
“Bad things happen in history… bad things are happening now.
“And whereas none of us in positions of leadership can change what’s happened in the past.
“Even an apology doesn’t change what’s happened.”
However, Mr Griffith said some of the Commonwealth’s leaders were “grifters” who were using their position to pressure Mr Burnham to demand financial compensation over the UK’s historic links to slavery.
Mr Griffith added: “My own personal view: the Commonwealth is a massive opportunity, a massive soft power.”
However, he added: “Look, it’s got some people in it, right? I mean, there’s some grifter leaders from some countries; that happens.
“The counterpoint I would say is we need a positive agenda for the Commonwealth that is somewhat of an Anglosphere.
“We’ve got, in some cases, shared history and heritage.
“Some of the members of the Commonwealth shed their blood for our freedoms.
“Let’s turn that into something really positive.
“Let’s try and think about how you can turn that into trade preference agreement… how we could do deals to help each other (and) grow our collective prosperity.”
Listen to Chopper’s Political Podcast on GB News’ YouTube channel, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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