That old chestnut, ‘slavery reparations’ – i.e. a practice almost every civilisation has engaged in, but which a barefaced band of progressives has decided Britain is uniquely responsible for – has reared its ugly head again.

The King begins his visit to the Caribbean today, taking in the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda where he will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The Asante kingdom, in modern-day Ghana, was a major participant in the slave trade – a fact conveniently ignored by the current President of Ghana

The Asante kingdom, in modern-day Ghana, was a major participant in the slave trade – a fact conveniently ignored by the current President of Ghana

Ahead of the visit, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has suggested that an apology by King Charles for slavery ‘wouldn’t hurt’, and that the time has come to discuss British reparations.

Let us leave aside the question of why anyone thinks we are in a position to dole out money for anything when, thanks to the incompetence of our governing class, we may soon be going cap in hand to the IMF (which might itself struggle to bail us out).

But let us confront the reparations question. Slavery was a terrible wrong. But while British abolitionism was historically exceptional, our participation in slavery was not. Of at least 41 million Africans enslaved and traded, Europeans accounted for 31 per cent (12.75 million), Arabs 53.6 per cent (21.96 million), the Sokoto Caliphate (in modern-day Nigeria) 9.76 per cent (4 million) and the........

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