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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed openness to the UK issuing a formal apology for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, while firmly rejecting the idea of providing financial reparations. Burnham emphasized his desire to engage in a “dialogue with those affected by the slave trade” and stated he was “open to calls for an apology.” However, he maintained that monetary compensation is “not the right answer.”
These remarks come just before the upcoming Commonwealth leaders summit in the Caribbean, where Burnham will participate. Caribbean countries have intensified their demands for the UK to apologise and offer reparations, especially as King Charles III makes his tour of the region. Burnham referred to the transatlantic slave trade, in which countless Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas, as a “brutal and barbaric violation,” stressing that Britain must confront its historical actions.
To date, the British government has never made an official apology or offered reparations related to slavery. Burnham’s stance aligns with previous UK leadership, stopping short of endorsing payments. In a written piece for the Guardian, he argued that contemporary British citizens “cannot be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part.” He also highlighted the longstanding calls from Commonwealth nations for a sincere dialogue, stating his intention to create a “structured dialogue” that includes considering a formal apology, to which he said, “I am open to them.”
A government insider conveyed to the BBC that apologising would be “morally the right thing to do.” Additionally, Downing Street views the strengthening of the Commonwealth as strategically important amid global power plays by countries like China and Russia. This week highlighted such geopolitical contests, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hosting a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who advocates for reparations, welcomed Burnham’s openness to apology and expressed willingness to engage constructively, while continuing to pursue reparatory justice. Meanwhile, Denis O’Brien, founder of The Repair Campaign, criticized Burnham’s statement as insufficient. He called for an immediate and full official apology, describing it as “a significant and symbolic first step towards reparatory justice.”
Historically, from the 16th century onward, English authorities and the monarchy played a significant role in the transatlantic slave trade. Britain was also instrumental in ending the practice through the 1833 Parliament act abolishing slavery. Notably, as part of that legislation, British slave owners were compensated for the loss of their enslaved workers. The UK only completed repaying the debt incurred to fund those payments as recently as 2015
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