UK slavery reparations 'not feasible', Miliband says

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said it was not feasible for the UK to pay reparations for slavery, while suggesting the government could move toward a formal apology for Britain's role in the slave trade.

Miliband told the BBC in an interview aired Wednesday that reparations were “not the right answer” and were not practical or feasible. He said London would not shift its position on reparations.

Asked whether Britain could reach the point of a formal apology by the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester next November, Miliband said: “Broadly speaking, yes.” He insisted that an apology would not lead to financial compensation.

The comments followed King Charles III's expression of remorse during a Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, where calls for a formal apology and compensation have continued.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham floated a “debt reset” plan for the poorest Commonwealth countries that could alter interest rates on repayments. Burnham said he did not support reparations but did support working with Commonwealth countries on development and debt issues.

Britain's role in slavery has long strained relations with some former colonies. At a Commonwealth meeting in Samoa in 2024, countries backed talks on reparatory justice after Britain tried to avoid addressing the issue.

King Charles called slavery a “monstrous injustice” that “still casts a shadow” over Commonwealth members, but stopped short of an apology. He and Queen Camilla were due to leave Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday at the end of their Caribbean tour.