PM Andy Burnham says he is open to a formal UK apology for the slave trade, but rules out reparations. Should Britain apologise, and should money follow?

What happened

In a Guardian article published on Friday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and expressed his "sorrow and regret". He ruled out reparations, writing that British people today cannot be held liable for historical wrongs. Instead he proposed helping the poorest Commonwealth countries repay debts over longer periods at better rates. He spoke before the Commonwealth summit in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Britain transported about 3.2 million Africans across the Atlantic.

Why people disagree

Supporters of an apology say Britain was the world's largest slave-trading nation at its peak and that formal acknowledgement is overdue; the Netherlands apologised in 2022. Caricom and campaigners go further, saying an apology without repair is incomplete and debt relief can't replace reparatory justice. Opponents, including Kemi Badenoch, say an apology would open the door to demands for money and that today's taxpayers shouldn't pay for historical events.

What's still unclear

Whether a formal apology will actually be made, and when; what the debt offer would be worth in practice; how hard Caribbean leaders press for reparations at the summit. Studies put possible compensation anywhere from hundreds of millions to trillions of dollars.