UK PM Burnham open to slavery apology, rules out reparations
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he is open to a formal UK apology for its role in the slave trade, but has ruled out paying reparations ahead of next week's Commonwealth summit.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to the United Kingdom issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, but he has ruled out financial reparations.
Writing in the Guardian, Burnham proposed a structured dialogue with those affected by the trade, saying that listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state would form an important part of the process.
He described the trade as a brutal and barbaric violation and said Britain must face up to its past, while arguing that people today cannot be held liable for historical wrongs committed in a different age under different laws.
The comments come ahead of next week's Commonwealth leaders summit in the Caribbean, where Caribbean nations have renewed calls for an apology and reparations, and as King Charles tours the region. Britain has never formally apologised for slavery or offered reparations.
Reporting based on coverage from BBC News.