UK PM Andy Burnham says he is open to a formal slavery apology but rules out reparations before Commonwealth summit
Andy Burnham is open to a formal UK apology for slavery but says Britons today cannot be held liable, days before Caribbean leaders press him in Antigua.
At a glance
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Saturday, October 31, 2026, that he is open to calls for a formal British state apology for the transatlantic slave trade.
- He rejected financial reparations, writing that Britons today cannot be held liable for wrongs from 'a different age under different laws'.
- Britain is offering a 'structured dialogue' and a debt restructuring programme for the poorest Commonwealth countries.
- He will face Caribbean demands for reparations at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda next week.
- His position goes further than Rishi Sunak, who refused to apologise in 2023, and Keir Starmer, whose government ruled out both.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Saturday he is open to a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, but he ruled out paying reparations. His remarks, in a newspaper article, come days before a Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda where Caribbean leaders are expected to press for financial redress.
"Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process, and I am open to them," Burnham wrote. He called the trade a "brutal and barbaric violation" of human rights and said he wanted to express his "sorrow and regret".
Where he draws the line
On money, Burnham was direct. "I do not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part," he wrote.
Instead, he is offering two things. One is a "structured dialogue" with people affected by the slave trade, with a possible apology as part of that process. The other is a debt restructuring initiative for the poorest Commonwealth countries, led by a former Labour prime minister.
That distinction will be tested quickly. Caribbean governments have pressed for reparations for years and are expected to raise them again next week. Debt relief is a real offer to countries with heavy borrowing costs, but it is not what reparations campaigners have asked for.
How far this moves from recent prime ministers
| Prime minister | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Blair | 2006 | Expressed "deep sorrow", stopped short of a full apology |
| Rishi Sunak | 2023 | Refused to apologise when challenged in Parliament |
| Keir Starmer | 2024 | Called the trade "abhorrent"; government ruled out reparations and apology |
| Andy Burnham | 2026 | Open to a formal apology; rules out reparations |
The shift is on apology alone. Burnham's line on money is the same as his predecessors'.
The history behind the demand
At least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European traders between the 15th and 19th centuries, according to the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database, which estimates that Britain carried about 3.2 million of them across the Atlantic.
The issue overshadowed the last Commonwealth summit in Samoa in 2024, where leaders' final statement called for further discussion on the subject despite British reluctance. King Charles, who is touring the Caribbean before this year's meeting, said it was "only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past".
What it means for Commonwealth members, including Pakistan
The Commonwealth has 56 members, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh among them. Reparations are chiefly a Caribbean and African demand, but the debt plan could matter more widely. Burnham has not yet said which countries would qualify as "poorest", how much debt would be covered, or who would pay for it. Those details are likely to be the most closely read part of the announcement in South Asia and Africa.
Antigua next week
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting opens in Antigua and Barbuda next week. Burnham will arrive there having conceded on language and held firm on cash, and the first test will be whether Caribbean leaders accept the "structured dialogue" as a starting point or reject it as too little.
Questions people are asking
Has Britain apologised for slavery?
No British government has made a formal state apology. Tony Blair expressed 'deep sorrow' in 2006, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in October 2026 that he is open to calls for an apology, as part of a dialogue.
Will the UK pay slavery reparations?
Not according to Burnham, who has rejected financial reparations. He has instead offered a structured dialogue and a debt restructuring initiative for the poorest Commonwealth countries.
