GUYANA | Good Morning Britain's host, Madeley condemned for his rude attitude to Guyana's president

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, September 20, 2023 -  The host of Good Morning Britain, Richard Madeley, was not prepared for the response he got from his guest, Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali this morning, when he appeared on the programme to speak about his intended address to the UN on reparation for slavery.

Madeley was  embarrassed when he was clearly put in his place by the Guyana President on the question of the need for Britain to pay reparations for the role they played in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.

President Ali was on the show to discuss his view that the UK should pay slavery reparations after the UN asked countries to consider compensation for the ‘harms suffered as a result of colonialism and enslavement’.

Hours before his address, the Guyana leader appeared on GMB via video link when the 67 year old host Richard Madeley, opened up the interview by asking the 43 year old Ali, why the UK should carry a burden for what happened in history.

‘Oh, it’s not a burden at all. You are one of the beneficiaries of that slave trade so this is not a burden,’ Ali replied.

#GMB
Whilst attempting to minimise slavery and reparations, Richard Madeley gets his arse handed to him live on television by
His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana. https://t.co/vEWe7IAbv2

— Cromwell (@Cromwell606) September 20, 2023

According to the Independent, Madeley appeared to grow angry with his guest over the suggestion that the royal family should offer to pay reparations to today’s generations.

When Madeley questioned why “someone who maybe had an ancestor seven or eight generations ago should... carry the burden” of past actions, Ali replied: “Oh, it’s not a burden at all. You are one of the beneficiaries of that slave trade, so this is not a burden.”

Ali continued: “You should be concerned and you should pay because you today still benefit from the greatest indignity to the human being, and that is the slave trade. And not only did you benefit during the slave trade, and your country develop, but look at what it cost the developing world.

“During slavery, resources were used to build your country, build up your capacity. You were able to then become competitive, able to invest in mechanisation and developing countries like ours were left behind. So you should be very concerned, because you are prime beneficiaries of exploits of slavery.”

Madeley, growing increasingly frustrated, asked: “One of the points that you'll be making today is about our royal family, and you feel it's not just about the finances involved for you in terms of reparations about slavery, it's about gestures.”

Here, he slammed his hand on the desk in front of him, adding: “And you think the British royal family should make gestures, don’t you? What do you mean? Hand over a palace?”

Richard Madeley illustrating perfectly why the UK should pay reparations as until they do accept some responsibility for the legacy of slavery self entitled arrogance will be the norm https://t.co/Ki9fr7RicC

— Martin O'Neill (@DrNostromo) September 20, 2023

Ali, keeping his cool, replied: ‘We don’t want the British public to hand over palaces we built,’ replied President Ali. Madeley could be heard laughing at his response, the Independent said.

He added that in the palaces you will see ‘the sweat, blood and tears of the slaves who were exploited’.

‘So what do you want?’ questioned Madeley.

He simply replied: ‘We’re asking for justice.’