Tuesday, March 27, 2007
BUSINESS URGED TO APOLOGISE FOR SLAVES
By Jonathan Guthrie
Tuesday, March 27, 2007, FT
Equality campaigners have called for British businesses with historic roots in slave trading to apologise and help development projects in Africa. The comments, from Lee Jasper, director of equality to the mayor of London, and from Anti-Slavery International, follow Thursday's commemoration of the bicentenary of the abolition of slave trading within the British Empire.
The subject is sensitive for companies with connections to the enslavement of an estimated 12m Africans, who fear damage to their public image and possible compensation claims from the descendants of slaves.
There are also questions about whether it is legitimate for people alive today to take responsibility for the actions of the long dead. Last year, Tony Blair overcame that problem by "expressing regret" for the slave trade.
However Mr Jasper said: "Where companies have clear and proven links to slavery, clear and unequivocal apology is not merely the just but also the wisest course, The longer an institution defends the indefensible, the larger the reputational price it will pay in the end."
Anti-Slavery International said: "We are calling on all institutions that wereinvolved in slavery, including businesses, to apologise and address its legacy today." The group, which campaigns against modern slavery, commended JPMorgan, which in 2005 apologised for slave dealing by predecessor banks.
The charity said: "This would be a good thing for Lloyd's of London and Barclays to pursue."
Businesses sometimes cited as having historic involvement with slavery include Lloyd's, Barclays, Imperial Tobacco and Tate & Lyle. Some of these strongly dispute the claims. Tate & Lyle, for example, said: "People put two and two together and get five. [Our founders] Henry Tate and Abraham Lyle started their business in the late 1850s, long after the slave trade was abolished, having had nothing to do with sugar before that."
Lloyd's of London played an indisputable role trade by insuring slave ships. Founder Edward Lloyd even kept a black slave. Lloyd's has since been threatened with compensation claims from American descendants of slaves. Yesterday it said: "Today it is impossible to understand how slavery could have been allowed. Everyone must regret this period in the world's history and Lloyd's is no exception."
Barclays said it was the victim of inaccurate claims in a 1944 history book. They had dogged it since and ex-posed it to compensation claims. According to historical research commissioned by Barclays, the book confused a "Quaker slave trader" called David Barclay with an early bank partner of the same name. This man, who was also a Quaker, campaigned against slave trading and freed 32 Jamaican slaves he acquired in lieu of debts.
Imperial Tobacco's best-known corporate predecessor, Wills, was trading in tobacco from American slave plantations in Bristol as early as the 18th century. Yesterday, the business said it "took the view that Imperial has been around since 1901" when it was formed through mergers. It distanced itself from the Port of Bristol, an important home port for slave vessels, adding: "We have not taken a position on the debate over slavery and do not intend to." ¶ 3:22 AM
Tuesday, March 27, 2007, FT
Equality campaigners have called for British businesses with historic roots in slave trading to apologise and help development projects in Africa. The comments, from Lee Jasper, director of equality to the mayor of London, and from Anti-Slavery International, follow Thursday's commemoration of the bicentenary of the abolition of slave trading within the British Empire.
The subject is sensitive for companies with connections to the enslavement of an estimated 12m Africans, who fear damage to their public image and possible compensation claims from the descendants of slaves.
There are also questions about whether it is legitimate for people alive today to take responsibility for the actions of the long dead. Last year, Tony Blair overcame that problem by "expressing regret" for the slave trade.
However Mr Jasper said: "Where companies have clear and proven links to slavery, clear and unequivocal apology is not merely the just but also the wisest course, The longer an institution defends the indefensible, the larger the reputational price it will pay in the end."
Anti-Slavery International said: "We are calling on all institutions that wereinvolved in slavery, including businesses, to apologise and address its legacy today." The group, which campaigns against modern slavery, commended JPMorgan, which in 2005 apologised for slave dealing by predecessor banks.
The charity said: "This would be a good thing for Lloyd's of London and Barclays to pursue."
Businesses sometimes cited as having historic involvement with slavery include Lloyd's, Barclays, Imperial Tobacco and Tate & Lyle. Some of these strongly dispute the claims. Tate & Lyle, for example, said: "People put two and two together and get five. [Our founders] Henry Tate and Abraham Lyle started their business in the late 1850s, long after the slave trade was abolished, having had nothing to do with sugar before that."
Lloyd's of London played an indisputable role trade by insuring slave ships. Founder Edward Lloyd even kept a black slave. Lloyd's has since been threatened with compensation claims from American descendants of slaves. Yesterday it said: "Today it is impossible to understand how slavery could have been allowed. Everyone must regret this period in the world's history and Lloyd's is no exception."
Barclays said it was the victim of inaccurate claims in a 1944 history book. They had dogged it since and ex-posed it to compensation claims. According to historical research commissioned by Barclays, the book confused a "Quaker slave trader" called David Barclay with an early bank partner of the same name. This man, who was also a Quaker, campaigned against slave trading and freed 32 Jamaican slaves he acquired in lieu of debts.
Imperial Tobacco's best-known corporate predecessor, Wills, was trading in tobacco from American slave plantations in Bristol as early as the 18th century. Yesterday, the business said it "took the view that Imperial has been around since 1901" when it was formed through mergers. It distanced itself from the Port of Bristol, an important home port for slave vessels, adding: "We have not taken a position on the debate over slavery and do not intend to." ¶ 3:22 AM
