31/12/2025
Plank of 2025. Lenny Henry has been criticised by commentators on TalkTV after calling for the UK to pay an estimated £19 trillion in slavery reparations, a proposal outlined in a book he co-wrote earlier this year.
The comedian and broadcaster, now in his late 60s, made the argument in The Big Payback, written with television executive and diversity advocate Marcus Ryder. In the book, Henry argues that reparations should be paid to Black British people to address the lasting effects of slavery, writing that “all Black British people… need reparations for slavery” and adding: “We personally deserve money for the effects of slavery.” The proposal extends beyond payments to Caribbean nations and includes compensation within the UK itself.
The comments resurfaced this week during a year-end segment on TalkTV, where presenter Kevin O’Sullivan awarded Henry the programme’s satirical “Plank of the Year” title. Discussing the proposal with guests, O’Sullivan and his panel focused on the scale of the figure cited in the book and questioned how such a sum could be calculated or funded.
Author and commentator Rafal Haydel-Mankoo told the programme that the £19 trillion figure exceeded the entire GDP of China, adding that the proposal would apply regardless of whether individuals could trace a direct ancestral link to enslaved people. The remark drew laughter in the studio, with Haydel-Mankoo quipping that it was “the funniest thing he’s said since 1983.”
Reaction online was similarly divided. Some social media users echoed the panel’s criticism, while others defended Henry’s right to raise the issue and pointed out that debates around reparations are increasingly taking place on an international stage. In recent months, the African Union has renewed calls for former colonial powers to engage in discussions about reparations for historical exploitation across the continent.
Successive UK prime ministers have resisted such demands, maintaining that while the history of slavery should be acknowledged, financial reparations are not government policy. The current Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has continued that position, despite growing pressure from international bodies and campaign groups.
Henry’s comments have reignited a long-running and often contentious debate in Britain about how the legacy of slavery should be addressed in the modern era. While campaigners argue that economic disparities cannot be separated from historical injustice, critics question how reparations could be implemented fairly or practically generations later.
The scale of the figure cited in The Big Payback has been a particular focus of criticism, with opponents arguing that such sums risk overshadowing broader discussions about inequality by shifting attention to headline-grabbing numbers.
Supporters of Henry’s position, however, say the proposal is intended to provoke serious engagement rather than present a fully formed policy, framing it as a starting point for debate rather than a fixed demand.
The controversy also highlights the increasingly prominent role played by cultural figures in political and historical discussions, where celebrity voices can amplify issues but also attract heightened scrutiny.
Henry has not responded publicly to the TalkTV segment, but his book makes clear that he views reparations not as a provocation, but as part of a wider conversation about historical responsibility, inequality and how societies choose to address the legacy of the past.
As the debate continues, reparations — whether financial, symbolic or structural — remain a deeply divisive issue in the UK, with no clear consensus on how the past should be reconciled with the present.
