The absence of an end point to the reparations claim is worth noting. The CARICOM plan does not say: if these ten things are done, the reparatory claim will be satisfied and no further demands will be made. This means that any concession Britain makes, any payment, any programme, any acknowledgement, becomes a floor rather than a ceiling. It will be presented as partial progress toward a claim that has no defined point of satisfaction.
This is not necessarily a cynical calculation on CARICOM’s part. Claims of historical injustice often do not have clear end points because the harms they address are ongoing and complex. But from Britain’s perspective, the absence of an end point means there is no negotiating counterparty who can offer closure in exchange for concessions. Whatever Britain does, the campaign continues.
