UK PM open to slavery apology but rejects reparations

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, but rejected financial reparations.

Burnham made the remarks in the Guardian days before attending a Commonwealth leaders summit in Antigua and Barbuda, as King Charles III toured the Caribbean.

“I want to express my sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions and to recognise the way it still shapes our world today,” Burnham wrote. He called the transatlantic slave trade a “brutal and barbaric violation” of the rights of enslaved people.

Burnham said his government wanted a “structured dialogue with those affected”. He wrote that listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state would be an important part of that process and that he was open to them.

He ruled out financial compensation, writing: “I do not believe that is the right answer.” He said he did not think British people today could be held liable for historical wrongs that happened in a different age and in which they played no personal part.

Britain has never formally apologised for slavery or agreed to pay reparations. Parliament passed a law to abolish slavery in 1833.

The issue has loomed over King Charles's Caribbean tour. In the Bahamas on Tuesday, Charles acknowledged “the great suffering of the past”. He is due to address the Commonwealth summit, which runs from November 1 to 4.