Tory leader Kemi Badenoch
“What I’m worried about is that this CHOGM summit is yet another opportunity for people to start asking Britain for money because of the slave trade,” she said, adding that the Commonwealth should focus on cooperation and future priorities rather than historical disputes. “I don’t think we should be giving any money to compensate people for the slave trade, and I don’t think that Burnham needs to be apologising because it is a lever to wedge open the door to ask for cash,” she said. Badenoch said a previous statement by former prime minister Tony Blair, who expressed Britain’s “deep sorrow and regret” over its involvement in the slave trade nearly two decades ago, should be sufficient. Her remarks came after Burnham said he was open to the possibility of a formal apology for Britain’s role in the trafficking and enslavement of Africans. In an article published in The Guardian, he said he wanted to establish a dialogue with countries affected by the trade but ruled out direct financial reparations.
She maintained that another formal apology was unnecessary. The British government has not issued a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade or agreed to pay reparations. Burnham’s proposal has reopened discussion over whether Britain should formally acknowledge its historical responsibility, even without offering financial compensation.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Badenoch criticised Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s willingness to consider an official apology ahead of next week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.