British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is open to talks on a formal apology for transatlantic slavery. But he dismissed financial reparations ahead of a Commonwealth summit.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Friday that he is open to the United Kingdom issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, while ruling out any financial compensation. Burnham announced the position in an article for The Guardian ahead of the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda, where Caribbean governments have stepped up calls for Britain to acknowledge its colonial past Al Jazeera reported.
Apology talks and debt relief proposal
Burnham offered to hold structured talks with countries and advocacy groups affected by slavery, stating that Britain must confront its past. He described the centuries of trafficking enslaved Africans to the Americas as brutal and barbaric, expressing sorrow and regret for the suffering inflicted on millions of people. At the same time, Burnham rejected calls for monetary redress, arguing that modern British citizens cannot be held liable for historic wrongs carried out centuries ago under different laws. A British government source told BBC News that opening talks on an apology was “morally the right thing to do.”
Rather than paying reparations, Burnham proposed an international program to relieve the debt burden on developing countries. The plan involves extending loan repayment schedules and lowering interest rates, with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown assisting the effort. Burnham noted that more than 40 percent of the world’s most vulnerable and poorest nations spend more servicing their debt interest than on public healthcare.
Downing Street views closer cooperation with the 56-nation Commonwealth as a priority at a time when Russia and China are expanding their international reach. The summit follows a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a Russia-Africa conference in Moscow.
Caribbean leaders respond
Caribbean leaders offered measured responses to Burnham’s announcement. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley welcomed the opening for talks and agreed to participate in good faith, though she maintained her government’s push for reparatory justice. Mottley suggested that future cooperation could focus on healthcare, education, development assistance and fairer borrowing terms.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who is hosting the summit, welcomed Burnham’s debt relief initiative and his commitments to cooperate on renewable energy. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness also responded positively on social media, writing that “Open-minded dialogue is always a good place to start addressing difficult issues” NBC News reported. Jamaica has separately taken a case for reparations to King Charles III, and the matter has been referred to the UK’s highest court of appeal.
Campaigners, however, argued that Burnham’s concessions did not go far enough. Denis O’Brien, the founder of The Repair Campaign, called the prime minister’s statement disappointing and demanded that the British government deliver an immediate, full apology as a crucial initial step toward justice.
The history and the road ahead
From the 16th century onward, the English monarchy and authorities took an active part in the transatlantic trade, shipping millions of enslaved people to work on plantations under violent and abusive conditions. The trade enriched the British Empire before Parliament passed legislation abolishing slavery in 1833. Under that measure, Britain compensated plantation owners for the loss of enslaved people, incurring debts that the British government only finished paying off in 2015.
The Caribbean regional bloc CARICOM has formulated a 10-point plan for reparatory justice that seeks formal apologies, financial restitution, health and education funding, and programs to repair long-term economic and social damage. Reparations previously caused friction at the 2024 Commonwealth meeting in Samoa, when member countries pressed for talks despite resistance from then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The issue has gained fresh visibility during King Charles III’s tour of the region, which included visits to the Bahamas and Guyana. While in the Bahamas, the king faced street protests from Rastafarian groups demanding compensation. Buckingham Palace has stated that Charles will not issue an apology during his tour, though he acknowledged the deep suffering and past injustices across the islands. Burnham and King Charles will join Caribbean leaders in Antigua and Barbuda as the Commonwealth summit gets underway.
