Petition · past parliament
British Government to reimburse taxpayers for compensation of slave owners.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Government to repay £20 million paid to slave owners after the abolition of slavery as compensation, and also interest on resulting debt paid by taxpayers from 1833 to 2015.
"Freedom Of Information Act 2000: Slavery Abolition Act 1833"
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11249
"Freedom Of Information Act 2000: Slavery Abolition Act 1833"
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11249
British citizens, including those descended from slaves, were forced to indemnify slave owners until 2015, despite the abolition of slavery in 1803 and the enactment of the abolition act of 1833. Slavery was an immoral privilege that offered financial gain to individuals who engaged in crimes against humanity. Today, it is illegal to benefit from the proceeds of crime. This petition urges the Government and Parliament to correct this political and financial injustice.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 3 Aug 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 27 Aug 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
27 Aug 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.