World
Burnham opens door to formal apology for Britain’s slave trade
UK Prime Minister rules out financial reparations, despite longstanding Caribbean demands.
Al Jazeera•
Britain’s prime minister has opened the door to a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, while ruling out financial reparations.
Andy Burnham set out his position in a Guardian article on Friday, ahead of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday.
The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries, mostly former British colonies, whose Caribbean members have long pressed Britain to acknowledge slavery’s legacy and offer redress.
Instead, he proposed an international effort to ease the debt burden on poorer nations by extending repayment periods and cutting interest rates.