Bahamas Prime Minister Says King’s Actions Show a Reasonable Response to Reparations Debate
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Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said the monarch’s charitable programmes represent a practical form of reparative action, stressing that reparations are not limited to cash payments. He also said any decision to remove the monarch as head of state would have to be made by the Bahamian people in a referendum.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis told Sky News that King Charles III is already providing a “form of repair” for the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade through initiatives such as the King’s Trust scholarships for Commonwealth students. Davis said reparations are not solely about money and highlighted the importance of acknowledgment, education and training as the first steps.
“For me, repair and reparation is not absolutely money, simply, money,” Davis said, adding that financial compensation could be challenging for governments.
He expressed understanding of the difficulty the British government faces in considering large-scale financial reparations and noted that the King acts on the advice of his ministers. Davis said the monarch’s scholarship programme could be viewed as a reparative measure, showing that constructive action can matter as much as political symbolism.
When asked about the possibility of removing the monarch as head of state, Davis said the decision rests with the Bahamian people and would require a referendum, which he described as “agnostic” but “open to it” if the public decides. He noted that the country has progressed since becoming independent in 1973 and that opinions on becoming a republic are divided among citizens.
The comments came after the King’s two-day visit to the Bahamas, the first leg of his Commonwealth tour that will conclude at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, where slave-trade reparations will be discussed.