Miliband rejects slavery reparations but leaves scope for UK apology
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has separately proposed a debt reset for the poorest Commonwealth countries, potentially changing repayment interest rates.
The UK will not change its stance against paying compensation for slavery, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said, while indicating that a formal apology could be possible. He described reparations as impractical but said Britain could cooperate with other countries on related issues.
Asked whether Britain might be ready to apologise by the G20 leaders’ summit in Manchester, Miliband broadly agreed. He nevertheless stressed that an apology would not open the way to financial reparations.
At the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested a debt reset for the group’s poorest members. The proposal could involve changes to interest rates on repayments. Burnham said rejecting reparations did not mean refusing to assist Commonwealth countries with development and debt difficulties.
Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Burnham’s approach. At the Commonwealth’s 2024 gathering in Samoa, member countries supported discussions about reparatory justice, despite Britain’s attempts under Keir Starmer to keep the issue off the agenda.
King Charles III expressed horror at slavery as he opened the Antigua and Barbuda summit, acknowledging its lasting effects on Commonwealth members. He offered no apology and also emphasised Britain’s eventual part in abolishing slavery.
