Burnham considers apology for Britain’s slave-trade role but rejects reparations

Politics · First reported 1 Nov, 15:50 · Updated 16:37

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Fikkar Bonggi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Andy Burnham said he is open to a formal apology and proposed debt restructuring for poorer Commonwealth countries, while ruling out reparations. Caribbean leaders welcomed the prospect of an apology but said reparatory demands remain unresolved.

Burnham said he is open to a formal apology for Britain’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but rejected calls for reparations.
He proposed working with wealthy nations and investors on longer repayment periods and lower interest rates for poorer countries’ debt.
Caribbean representatives welcomed the prospect of an apology while maintaining that debt relief would not replace reparatory justice.

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Key facts

Apology: Burnham said he is open to a formal apology for Britain’s role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Reparations: Burnham rejected calls for the U.K. to pay reparations.
Debt proposal: He proposed helping poorer Commonwealth countries repay debt over longer periods and at lower interest rates.
Commonwealth: The article describes the Commonwealth as an association of 56 independent nations.
Caricom response: Caricom said an apology would be an essential first step, but an apology without repair would be incomplete.