UK PM Burnham indicates Britain may apologise for role in slave trade (File photo/ AP)
British prime minister Andy Burnham has indicated that he is willing to consider calls for a formal apology for Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, but has ruled out paying financial reparations for historical injustices.
Britain transported an estimated 3.2 million Africans across the Atlantic, according to the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database. At least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and forced into the trade.
In an article published in The Guardian, Burnham said his government was prepared to engage with countries and communities affected by slavery through a “structured dialogue”. “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. Ahead of the summit, he said it was “only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past”. Alongside the proposal for dialogue, Burnham said he wanted Britain to take practical steps to help vulnerable countries manage their financial difficulties. He said he hoped to “launch a new drive on debt”, including measures that would allow more vulnerable nations to “repay over a longer time period and with better rates”.
He made the remarks ahead of next week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, where Caribbean leaders are expected to push for reparations. King Charles, who is currently touring the Caribbean, has also acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne welcomed Burnham’s comments and proposals for practical assistance. However, he made clear that the Caribbean’s demand for reparatory justice had not changed.