Prime Minister Andy Burnham is scheduled to join King Charles III at the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua today, where he will initiate discussions with fellow leaders regarding a potential formal apology from the UK for its role in the slave trade. This apology is anticipated next year, coinciding with the UK's rotating presidency of the G20 group of countries.
The issue of reparations, specifically compensation for victims of slavery, has been a dominant topic in the lead-up to this summit, which brings together representatives from 56 Commonwealth nations. Prime Minister Burnham indicated a new approach from Britain at this meeting, acknowledging that the previous Commonwealth gathering, held two years ago on the Pacific island of Samoa, did not proceed favorably from a UK perspective.
In contrast to the previous Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, who had stated that reparations were not on the agenda for the Samoa meeting, Mr. Burnham has sought to proactively address the debate. He directly acknowledged the anger expressed by some Commonwealth leaders following the last summit. Writing in The Guardian, Mr. Burnham argued, "For years, those members of the Commonwealth affected by the slave trade have asked for an honest conversation about the legacies of slavery… By sticking our heads in the sand, we have damaged the ability of the Commonwealth to function."
Mr. Burnham, alongside Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is leading conversations intended to "detoxify the debate about reparations." While the UK government insists it will not make financial payments, it is open to issuing a formal apology. Foreign Secretary Miliband affirmed in a social media video that a formal apology is "something the British government are open to," calling it a "significant step." However, he added, "we don't believe financial reparations are the right of feasible answer to transatlantic slavery. We don't think the right response is to ask British taxpayers today to make financial payments for these historic acts."
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has urged the Prime Minister against issuing an apology, warning that it could provide countries with a pretext to demand reparations from the UK. She stated, "I don't think we should be giving any money to compensate people for the slave trade, and I don't think that Andy Burnham needs to be apologising because it is a lever to wedge open the door to ask for cash." Meanwhile, the Palace has clarified that King Charles III's role is not policy-making, in response to the slavery apology discussions.
Despite the differing views, British officials are optimistic that the approach taken by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary will facilitate a broader dialogue with other Commonwealth countries over the next two days. No 10 also announced that the UK would lead two new task forces. One will focus on critical mineral assets and vulnerabilities within supply chains across the Commonwealth group, and the other will aim to boost trade and investment more broadly. Both task forces are expected to be established by the end of the year and will report their findings at the next leaders' summit. British diplomats consider the Commonwealth a valuable platform for discussions with developing nations, notably one that does not involve China, America, or Russia.
No10 defends flight to Manchester to collect Andy Burnham
