Burnham's openness to a slavery apology triggers Caribbean calls for billions in reparations and throws the King's tour into confusion
Andy Burnham proposed a "structured dialogue" with affected countries on any formal apology, while firmly ruling out financial reparations ahead of the Commonwealth summit.Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade prompted Andy Burnham to declare himself open to a formal state apology — a position no previous prime minister had taken.King Charles was welcomed to Guyana by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali ahead of a State Reception marking 60 years of UK-Guyana relations, with pop star Eddy Grant and Foreign Secretary David Lammy among the guests at the…King Charles, whose visit to the region precedes next week's Commonwealth summit, faces protests in St John's where campaigners have vowed the reparations issue will not be dodged.
Burnham's Guardian article, published ahead of next week's CHOGM summit in Antigua and Barbuda, blindsided the government's own communications team — journalists travelling with King Charles had received assurances as recently as Thursday evening that official policy was "absolutely no apology." Barbados PM Mia Mottley immediately seized on Burnham's words as opening the door to full reparations, thanking him for "breaking new ground." The UK government says it is offering debt restructuring and renewable energy support rather than direct financial payments.
Badenoch called Burnham's intervention a '"navel-gazing distraction"', saying Blair's 2006 expression of sorrow was already sufficient.
The King is now expected to face pressure to rewrite his keynote speech to CHOGM leaders in Antigua on Tuesday.
Badenoch warned that if every Commonwealth summit becomes 'an exercise in presenting Britain with demands for cash', the UK should question whether it is worth attending.
