‘Regret for the pain and suffering of millions’: UK PM ‘open’ to slavery apology, rules out reparations

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to the country issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade but ruled out financial compensation for its historical involvement.

In an article published in The Guardian on Saturday, the Labour leader expressed regret over the suffering caused by slavery and said Britain wanted to establish a structured dialogue with countries and communities affected by it.

"I want to express my sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions and to recognise the way it still shapes our world today," he wrote.

Describing the transatlantic slave trade as a "brutal and barbaric violation" of the rights of enslaved people, Burnham said listening to demands for an official apology would be an important part of the proposed dialogue.

"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.

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UK rules out financial reparations

However, Burnham rejected the possibility of financial compensation for historical slavery, saying he did not consider it the right approach.

"I do not believe that is the right answer," he wrote, adding that people living in Britain today could not be held responsible for historical injustices committed in a different era.

"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.

Britain was involved in colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade for centuries. The trade, which lasted from the 15th to the 19th century, saw millions of Africans captured, transported and sold into slavery by European traders. The British Parliament passed a law abolishing slavery in 1833.

Slavery debate to feature at Commonwealth summit

The issue is expected to figure prominently at the Commonwealth leaders' summit in Antigua and Barbuda, scheduled from November 1 to 4. Caribbean nations are seeking reparations for the lasting effects of slavery and colonial exploitation.

Their demands include debt relief, development funding, improved access to education and healthcare, and financial assistance to tackle climate change.

The debate has also remained in focus during King Charles III's Caribbean tour ahead of the summit.

During his visit to the Bahamas on Tuesday, the monarch acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery, saying it was "only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past".

Britain has never formally apologised for its role in slavery or agreed to pay reparations. King Charles is scheduled to address the Commonwealth summit.