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Burnham opens door to formal apology for Britain’s slave trade
· Confirmed
In Short: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled openness to a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, while ruling out financial reparations, ahead of the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda.
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Burnham offered structured talks with countries and campaign groups affected by slavery, including discussions on whether Britain should issue an official state apology. He wrote in a Guardian article that the Britain he believes in is “confident, decent and brave.”
Burnham’s stance maintains the position of previous British governments, despite his willingness to discuss an apology. He expressed “sorrow and regret” for the suffering of millions of enslaved people but rejected calls for financial compensation.
Burnham set out his position in a Guardian article on Friday, ahead of the Commonwealth summit. He argued that Britain must face its complex past and that more than 40 percent of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries spend more on debt interest than on healthcare.
Burnham wrote: “The Britain I believe in is confident, decent and brave. We led the world in abolishing slavery – and we can show leadership again today.”
Burnham also said that former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will assist with the initiative. He expressed that British people today 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.
Burnham’s position was reported by multiple outlets, including Al Jazeera, GB News, NewsCord, and The News International. Buckingham Palace has said he will not issue a formal apology for slavery during his trip, despite calls from countries in the region.
Burnham’s stance on the slave trade apology and reparations was also discussed in the context of his broader policy initiatives, including his pledge to end rough sleeping in the country and his efforts to make it easier to start and grow businesses.
Burnham’s approach to the slave trade apology and reparations reflects a nuanced position that acknowledges historical wrongs while rejecting financial reparations, aligning with previous British government policies.
Burnham’s decision to open the door to a formal apology for the slave trade, while rejecting financial reparations, has sparked mixed reactions from Caribbean leaders and campaign groups.
Burnham’s Guardian article and subsequent statements indicate a willingness to engage in structured dialogue with affected countries and communities, while maintaining a firm stance against financial reparations.
Burnham’s position on the slave trade apology and reparations highlights the complex historical and political dynamics at play in the Commonwealth, particularly in the context of the upcoming summit in Antigua and Barbuda.
This report adds details on Burnham's willingness to engage in structured talks and his firm stance against financial reparations, reflecting the nuanced position of the British government on the issue.
Background
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled openness to a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, while ruling out financial reparations, ahead of the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda.
What's confirmed
- Britain’s prime minister has opened the door to a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, while ruling out financial reparations.
- “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,” Burnham wrote.
- See the score → UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government will consider apologizing for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade as it seeks to strengthen relations with nations in Africa and the Caribbean.
- 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 reparations.
- LONDON: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that a suspected plot targeting the RAF Fairford air base in Britain was “highly likely” to have been coordinated in Iran, and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- “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,” he said.
- Writing in The Guardian, Mr Burnham said the UK was offering structured dialogue with countries and communities affected by the slave trade, in which at least 12.5 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic and sold into slavery.
What's still developing
- The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries, mostly former British colonies, whose Caribbean members have long pressed Britain to acknowledge slavery’s legacy and offer redress.
- The Prime Minister said it was often 'ordinary people' who tackle 'huge injustices' King spotlights 'great suffering' experienced by victims of the transatlantic slave trade By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules.
- Ralph Gonsalves, a leading figure calling for reparations, told The Guardian that an apology was only the first step in the Caribbean community's 10-point reparations plan, and, while "necessary, is insufficient".
- That defensive posture shifted dramatically when Prime Minister Andy Burnham signaled an openness to listening to calls for a formal state apology.
- The PM says he wants to make it easier to start and grow a business The PM says he wants to make it easier to start and grow a business Andy Burnham is set to call for a “culture shift” on Monday when he meets business leaders at Downing Street to pledge backing for entrepreneurs.
- Burnham has not yet detailed how his national care service will be paid for (though has said savings from the triple lock will go towards it, economists say that will cover less than a fifth of the cost of delivery), but if the service is effective then the tax take from a generation of re-liberated mid-life women will shoot up.
- The BBC reported that the meeting comes days after Scottish independence resurfaced in the Commons, where Burnham compared the situation to conditions for a border poll in Northern Ireland under the Good Friday Agreement.
- Addressing parliament on Monday, Burnham said parts of the trade deal agreed with the EU after the UK voted to leave in 2016 would be renegotiated.
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the British parliament that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “almost certainly directed” an incident at Royal Air Force Fairford in southwest England last month.
- Ukraine has in recent weeks hit a number of logistics hubs belonging to online retailer Wildberries UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said London will continue "to support Ukraine 100%", after Moscow warned of "consequences" following confirmation that British-made drones were used in recent Ukrainian strikes in Russia.
- KABUL (Pajhwok): UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, warning that similar activities are taking place in France and Germany, the BBC reported.
- In a post on X, Badenoch wrote that Labour was "already spending too much on Britain's welfare state, now is not the time for Andy Burnham to be providing global welfare."