Burnham opens door to slavery apology but rejects reparations

Summarised from 11 outlets · 16 reports · Updated 31 Oct, 23:38 · Archive

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to a formal British apology for the transatlantic slave trade but ruled out financial reparations.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain is open to issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. Writing in The Guardian ahead of next week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, Burnham stated: 'Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process, and I am open to them.' This represents the furthest any British prime minister has gone on the issue.

Burnham expressed his personal 'sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions' enslaved in the trade, which he described as a 'brutal and barbaric violation'. He said Britain must 'face up to the past' and called the conversations necessary 'to safeguard the Commonwealth for the future' both right and 'patriotic'. He argued that 'we led the world in abolishing slavery – and we can show leadership again today'.

However, Burnham firmly rejected calls for financial reparations. He wrote: 'I do not think that British people today can 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.' This maintains the position taken by his predecessors. Instead of reparations, he proposed an international effort to ease debt burdens on poorer nations, noting that former Prime Minister Gordon Brown would assist with the initiative.

Burnham's announcement comes as Caribbean nations have renewed calls for both an apology and reparations during King Charles's ongoing tour of the region ahead of the summit. The timing and content of his statement have already triggered fresh demands from regional leaders. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley welcomed the opening for talks but reiterated her government's position on reparations, which she has framed in terms of debt relief, development finance, education, healthcare and climate resilience. A major 2023 report concluded the UK should pay $24 trillion for its involvement in slavery in 14 countries.

The Prime Minister's comments have also sparked political controversy at home. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Burnham of 'peddling grievance politics', arguing that Britain has 'already paid the price' through abolishing slavery in 1807 and spending vast sums stamping it out worldwide. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch questioned whether the UK should boycott Commonwealth summits if they become 'an exercise in presenting Britain with demands for cash'.

Sources suggest Buckingham Palace was only 'informed in a timely manner' of Burnham's statement rather than coordinating it. The Palace has maintained that apologies and reparations are matters for government, not the monarch. Burnham's move leaves King Charles in a difficult position during his Caribbean tour, as he continues to offer only expressions of sorrow rather than a formal apology.

How it is being reported

• Burnham slave trade pledge sparks new reparations row for the King on Caribbean tour as PM's ill-timed intervention triggers fresh calls for billionsThe Prime Minister's comments immediately triggered calls from leaders in the West Indies for Britain to pay billions of pounds in reparations.Daily Mail · 31 Oct, 23:33
• 'King Charles' careful words on slavery derailed by PM Andy Burnham'King Charles and Buckingham Palace's position on whether Britain should apologise is that it is for the government to decide on as the monarch cannot get ahead of his ministersThe Mirror · 31 Oct, 22:00
• King Charles under pressure after PM says he's 'open' to formal apology for slave tradePrime Minister Andy Burnham is due to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting alongside King Charles in the Caribbean next weekThe Mirror · 31 Oct, 22:00
• Nigel Farage attacks Andy Burnham for 'peddling grievance politics' about slave tradePrime Minister under cross-party attack ahead of a Commonwealth summit where champions of reparations will put pressure on Britain for its slave trade historyDaily Express · 31 Oct, 17:45
• UK PM Andy Burnham says he is ‘open’ to formal apology for slavery, but rejects reparationsBurnham is likely to face demands for financial reparations at next week's Commonwealth summit.New York Post · 31 Oct, 15:19
• Burnham opens door to formal apology for Britain’s slave tradeUK Prime Minister rules out financial reparations, despite longstanding Caribbean demands.Al Jazeera · 31 Oct, 13:19
• Burnham ‘open’ to formal apology for Britain’s slave tradeThe U.K. prime minister however rejected calls for Britain to pay financial reparations.Politico Europe · 31 Oct, 12:55
• UK PM Burnham says 'open' to slavery apology but rules out financial reparationsBritish Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Saturday he was "open" to the UK apologizing for the first time for its role in the transatlantic slave trade but rejected calls for financial reparations. Issues around Britain's colonial history have loomed large over King Charles' ongoing visit to three Caribbean nations ahead of Commonwealth summit.France 24 · 31 Oct, 12:31
• Andy Burnham says he is 'open' to UK making a formal apology for slavery as King Charles arrives in AntiguaIn what would be a significant U-turn on previous government policy, the PM said he is 'open' to the possibility of the UK issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.Daily Mail · 31 Oct, 11:14
• Andy Burnham is ‘open’ to apologising for UK’s role in slave tradeWriting in The Guardian, the Prime Minister has said he is ‘open to a structured dialogue’ about the UK’s role in the slave trade (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) Andy Burnham is ‘open’ to apologising for the UK’s role in the slave trade. The Prime Minister, who is preparing to fly to the…Metro · 31 Oct, 10:13
• Andy Burnham opens door for formal transatlantic slave trade apologyAndy Burnham has opened the door to a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade. But the Prime Minister has ruled out reparations, saying that today's Britons could not be "held liable for historical wrongs". The Prime Minister, who is due to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in the Caribbean next week, expressed his personal "sorrow and regret" for the suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade. Writing in The Guardian, he said: "Having these difficult conversations to safeguard the Commonwealth for the future is the right thing to…GB News · 31 Oct, 03:40
• Burnham 'open' to calls for slavery apology but not reparationsThe prime minister says Britain must "face up to the past" for its role in the transatlantic slave trade but reparations are "not the right answer".BBC Politics · 31 Oct, 03:12
• Andy Burnham ‘open’ to calls for Britain to formally apologise for slaveryAndy Burnham has expressed his "sorrow and regret" for the suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade and is open for Britain to apologise for its roleDaily Express · 31 Oct, 00:24
• Andy Burnham 'open' to calls for formal apology for Britain’s role in slave tradePrime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is "open" to calls for Britain to formally apologise for its role in the slave trade, but ruled out considering financial reparationsThe Mirror · 31 Oct, 00:18
• Andy Burnham ‘open’ to calls for British formal apology for slaveryThe Prime Minister expressed his personal ‘sorrow and regret’ for the suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade.Evening Standard · 31 Oct, 00:15
• Andy Burnham ‘open’ to calls for British formal apology for slaveryThe Prime Minister expressed his personal ‘sorrow and regret’ for the suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade.Evening Standard · 30 Oct, 22:40

In this story: Andy Burnham · King Charles III · Mia Mottley · Nigel Farage · Caribbean · Britain · Commonwealth

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