Burnham is open to calls for a slavery apology but rules out reparations

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he is open to dialogue with Commonwealth countries and to calls for the UK to formally apologise for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, which he described as a “brutal and barbaric” violation. He nevertheless rejects financial reparations, arguing that people in Britain today cannot be held liable for historical wrongs in which they took no personal part. Bell Ribeiro-Adday, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, welcomed his statement and said the issue is not just about money. Burnham’s comments come before the Commonwealth leaders’ summit, opening in Antigua on 1 November, as King Charles III tours the Caribbean.