Burnham opens door to UK slavery apology but rejects reparations

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to the United Kingdom formally apologising for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, but has ruled out financial reparations. His comments, reported by BBC News, NDTV and France 24, come before next week’s Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and during King Charles III’s tour of Caribbean nations. Burnham said the trade was a “brutal and barbaric violation” and argued that Britain must face its past.

He said he wanted to express sorrow and regret for the suffering of millions and recognise how that history continues to shape the world. He also proposed a structured dialogue with affected countries, with calls for a formal state apology forming part of that process. The prime minister nevertheless rejected the idea that Britain should make reparations payments.

The BBC reported that he wrote that people in Britain today could not be held liable for historical wrongs committed in a different age, under different laws, and by people in which they had no personal part. Chancellor John Healey endorsed the distinction between discussing an apology and accepting financial liability. The timing has given the issue added prominence.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting begins on 1 November in Antigua and Barbuda, and the King is due to open it during his Caribbean visit. In the Bahamas, Charles referred to “the great suffering of the past”, while in Guyana he visited a site connected with a rebellion of enslaved people against British authorities. The UK has never formally apologised for slavery or agreed to pay reparations, according to the reports.

France 24 noted that Britain profited from colonialism and the slave trade but also argues that it later led the abolition movement; Parliament passed legislation abolishing slavery in most of the British Empire in 1833. Former prime minister Tony Blair expressed “deep sorrow and regret” in 2007, while David Cameron rejected reparations in 2015. Responses to Burnham’s position were divided.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there was no reason for present-day British taxpayers to bear financial responsibility and urged the Commonwealth to look forward. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said there was a duty to address the issue and that saying sorry was worthwhile. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley welcomed the statement while retaining her support for reparatory justice.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, said the group welcomed recognition of Britain’s role but believed the government had still stopped short of a formal apology. She argued that reparative justice was not solely about money. Burnham also plans a debt-restructuring initiative for poorer Commonwealth countries, led by former prime minister Gordon Brown, involving longer repayment periods and better rates, France 24 reported.