Sir Lenny Henry calls for Britain to pay £19 trillion in slavery reparations

Sir Lenny Henry is calling for Britain to pay approximately £19 trillion in slavery reparations. This figure is based on a 2023 report calculating damages from transatlantic chattel slavery. The proposed sum far exceeds the UK's current GDP and aims to address historical trauma, loss of heritage, and ongoing disparities. Henry argues this would bring a "nationwide sigh of relief" and facilitate healing. The British government reportedly finished compensating slave owners in 2015. Henry, whose parents are from Jamaica, believes descendants of enslaved people should now be compensated.