The Church of England's initiative to establish a £100m fund to address its historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade has been delayed. The Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice, announced in 2023, was intended to launch in 2024 but has been stalled.
The delay follows a media and lobbying campaign, with figures like retired professor Nigel Biggar and Conservative MP Katie Lam leading opposition. Biggar has published numerous articles against the fund, known as Project Spire, in publications including the Spectator, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Times. Lam has also opposed the fund in the House of Commons and coordinated a letter from 27 MPs and peers to the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, in December 2025.
Wealthy financiers, including Sir Paul Marshall, are linked to the campaign against the fund. Marshall, co-founder of Marshall Wace, has provided platforms for critics through his media outlets, such as the Spectator, GB News, and UnHerd. He has also funded right-wing lobbying groups and organisations connected to Biggar.
In July 2026, the church acknowledged it is facing a legal challenge related to the fund, which could lead to additional years of delay.