Burnham opens door to slavery apology as Miliband rules out reparations

A shift on the apology question

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated openness to a formal apology from the UK for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, a move away from long-standing government policy. Ministers are starting a "structured dialogue" with Commonwealth nations, which Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said is likely to conclude within a year. Asked whether a formal apology could come by the time the UK hosts the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester in November 2027, Miliband answered "Broadly speaking, yes." He said earlier governments had tended to "sweep under the carpet" the issue of slavery, and that the change in tone is meant to confront it rather than avoid it.

Taxpayers and reparations

Miliband insisted the new approach would not cost British taxpayers a penny more. He said the government had told its partners in advance that it was willing to discuss an apology but would not shift its position on reparations. On that point he was blunt:

“It's not for us. It's not the right answer. It's not practical. It's not feasible for us.”

Burnham, for his part, declined to say whether the change could mean higher costs for taxpayers. The Telegraph reported that he refused three times at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua to say the UK would not give more money to Commonwealth countries. It also reported that he had committed £40m to Caribbean projects on Monday, 2 November. The two accounts of the government's position have not been reconciled.

Blair, Badenoch and the 2024 summit

Miliband described former prime minister Tony Blair's position as a "sorry not sorry" situation. He was referring to Blair's expression of "deep sorrow and regret" over British involvement in the slave trade, which LBC dates to 2006 and the BBC to 2007. Miliband said Blair's words were later walked back by Downing Street. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there was no need to add to Blair's statement, according to an opinion piece in The Scotsman. Miliband added that Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley had raised the Blair remarks in a conversation with Burnham. He also said the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa ended in what he called a "verbal punch up" over the issue.

King Charles and the Royal Navy

Speaking as head of the Commonwealth to leaders gathered in Antigua, King Charles described the transatlantic trade as a source of deep personal sorrow, but he did not offer an apology. He credited the Royal Navy with a leading role in ending the trade and said his commitment to finding ways to address past wrongs had grown. He told the leaders:

“Our history inspires us, can appal us, yet it can always teach us.”

An opinion piece in The Scotsman argues the Royal Navy's record deserves more weight in the debate. It cites 1,600 slave ships captured and 150,000 Africans freed after abolition in 1807. It also puts the cost of the West Africa Squadron at an estimated 2% of British GDP, and says records show 17,000 sailors died in that effort.

Caribbean engagement and the 1833 compensation

St Lucia's Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, who chairs the 15-member Caribbean Community, has reportedly said the bloc is ready to engage in the structured dialogue. Calls for an apology and reparations from the UK have grown in recent years. A reader letter in The Guardian from Giselle Dye of Edinburgh argues that the state's responsibility has not ended. It says the government borrowed £20m in 1833 to compensate enslavers, that some 40,000 claims were made, and that the resulting debt was not cleared until 2015. The letter adds that about 3,000 people in Britain received around half of the compensation fund.

What comes next

The dialogue is expected to conclude within a year, according to Miliband, and the BBC reports that an apology may come around the time the prime minister hosts the G20 summit in Manchester in November 2027. Miliband said the government chose to confront the issue rather than pretend it did not exist.