UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled the government’s openness to apologize for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade as the country seeks to strengthen ties with nations in the Caribbean and Africa.
Ahead of next week’s Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, Burnham argued in a Guardian column published Saturday that Britain must face its complex past.
He emphasized that acknowledging this history is essential to sustaining the 56-member organization, which evolved from the former British Empire.
The UK PM said Britain was “offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade.”
“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,” he added.
The openness comes with the rejection of one demand. According to Burnham, Britain would not be ready to pay financial reparation, ruling out the possibility of such demand.
“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.”
Downing Street views engaging with the Commonwealth on this issue as a way to boost ties amid rising geopolitical competition from countries like China and Russia.
Chair Bell Ribeiro-Addy welcomed the open dialogue but noted the UK has still fallen short of a formal apology. She emphasized that “reparative justice” is about acknowledgment and equal standing within the Commonwealth, not just monetary invoices.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley also welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement and committed to engaging in good faith while continuing to pursue reparative justice.
On the other hand, Founder Denis O’Brien slammed the statement as disappointing, calling on the UK to issue an immediate formal apology as a major step towards justice.
The renewed calls for apology stemmed from King Charles III’s region tour, referencing the “suffering of the past” in the Bahamas and visiting a slave rebellion site in Guyana.
