Councillors in Bristol have voted in favour of a plan, described as, “atonement and reparation” for Bristol’s role in the slave trade. UNN’s Oliver Down has learnt that Bristol City Council passed a motion at an extraordinary full council meeting.
The motion was named ‘atonement and reparation for Bristol’s role in the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Afrikans’ and was supported by 47 councillors and opposed by 12. Prior to the meeting, the Green party councillor Cleo Lake, who brought forward the motion, stated that Bristol had “played a leading role in trafficking and enslaving people, so as a city we now need to play a leading role in being honest about that and calling for systemic change. Reparations is not a paycheque for the descendants of people who were enslaved – it is a process outlined by the UN which looks for ‘holistic repair’. This can include public apologies, social justice initiatives, education or cultural projects, commemorative ceremonies, affirmative action and much more”.
The Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees described the discourse around race as complex but said: “Racism and race inequality is still an inequality and a reality that needs to be addressed. The fact that there is complexity in it should not deter us from taking a first step down that path”.
The Conservative group on Bristol City Council did not support the motion and the Conservative Councillor Steve Smith said at the meeting: “We believe the motion risks exacerbating some divisions by promoting a binary view of the world when the reality is much more complicated”.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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