MPs and peers urge new Archbishop of Canterbury to scrap £100m reparations plan

A group of MPs and peers have urged the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury to stop the Church of England from spending £100 million on slavery reparations.

The 27 parliamentarians warn in a letter to Dame Sarah Mullally that the move could set a “worrying precedent” for other organisations to feel they must follow suit.

The plan is for £100 million from the Church Commissioners endowment to go into a separate charitable fund for “healing, repair and justice” that will grow over time and be used to invest in support for historically marginalised groups, in particular communities affected by historic African chattel enslavement.

The parliamentarians say the endowment by law is supposed to be used to support parish ministry, maintain church buildings, and care for the Church’s historic records.

“At a moment when churches across the country are struggling to keep their doors open — many even falling into disrepair — it’s wrong to try and justify diverting £100 million to a project entirely separate from those core obligations,” the letter reads.

The group, led by shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam and with signatories including senior Conservatives Chris Philp, Claire Coutinho and Neil O’Brien, also questions the “evidential basis” of the plan known as Project Spire.

The project was launched after the Church carried out research into the historical links to slavery of its endowment.

“The Church has a long and complex historical record, one that includes both moral failures and courageous leadership in the abolitionist movement.

“To reduce this history to a simplistic narrative of guilt does a disservice both to truth and to the Church’s own legacy,” the letter adds.

The group makes its appeal to Dame Sarah as she is due to be legally made Archbishop of Canterbury in January.

They write: “A clear signal from you now that the focus of the Church under your leadership will be the strengthening of parishes, not the pursuit of high-profile and legally dubious vanity projects, would reassure the many worshippers, clergy, and members of the public who have contacted us with their concerns.”

A spokesperson for the Church Commissioners said: “The Church Commissioners, as a 320-year-old Christian in-perpetuity endowment fund, has committed £100 million to set up a new investment fund to support healing, justice and repair, in response to the discovery of its historic links with Transatlantic African chattel enslavement.

“This is consistent with the Church of England’s Fourth Mark of Mission: to ‘seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation’.

“Governance arrangements are being developed transparently – in line with charity law, our fiduciary duties, and our moral purpose – to ensure proper oversight and accountability.”