Burnham considers slavery apology but rejects financial reparations

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated he would consider a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, while rejecting financial reparations, in comments reported on 31 October ahead of the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda.¹²

Apology and compensation treated separately

Burnham’s willingness to discuss an apology changes Britain’s longstanding position, as reported by the Associated Press and The New York Times. According to the BBC, the British government has neither issued a formal apology for slavery nor provided reparations. His comments express openness to an apology rather than announce one.¹³⁴

Burnham said Commonwealth countries had spent years seeking a candid discussion about the past. The Straits Times reported that Britain was proposing organised talks with people affected by the transatlantic slave trade, with consideration of a state apology included in that process.¹²

But Burnham rejected financial reparations, arguing that people in Britain today should not bear liability for historical wrongs in which they had no personal involvement. Chancellor John Healey also drew a distinction between the two issues, saying an apology would not establish financial liability for events centuries earlier, the BBC reported.¹²

Debt proposals and Caribbean responses

Burnham is instead proposing debt restructuring for poorer Commonwealth countries. According to The Straits Times, the initiative would seek to give more vulnerable countries longer repayment periods and improved rates. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting begins on 1 November in Antigua, the BBC reported.¹²³

Caribbean leaders are expected to raise reparations demands at the meeting, according to The Straits Times. The newspaper reported that their demands have often encompassed debt relief, development funding, education, healthcare and measures to strengthen resilience to climate change.²

Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister, Gaston Browne, welcomed Burnham’s remarks and proposals for practical support, The Straits Times reported. But he said: “The Caribbean's longstanding position on reparatory justice remains unchanged.” Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley also welcomed the statement while maintaining her pursuit of reparatory justice, according to the BBC.¹²

Calls for a formal commitment

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations welcomed Burnham’s statement, the BBC reported. Its chairwoman, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, nevertheless said the government had not delivered a formal state apology, which she noted would carry no financial cost. Repair Campaign founder Denis O’Brien called for a full apology as an initial step towards reparatory justice.¹

The BBC also reported differing responses from opposition leaders. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch opposed making today’s taxpayers financially responsible for events before they were born. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey supported an apology, saying Britain had a duty to address the issue.¹

Burnham’s position follows earlier refusals. According to the BBC’s account, David Cameron rejected reparations in 2015, Rishi Sunak rejected a request for both an apology and reparations in 2023, and Keir Starmer ruled out compensation in 2024.¹