PM Andy Burnham says he is 'open' to a formal British apology for slavery but rules out paying reparations

Writing in the Guardian ahead of next week's Commonwealth heads of government meeting in the Caribbean, Burnham called the trade a "brutal and barbaric violation" of people "treated as property and worked to their deaths." He expressed personal "sorrow and regret" and offered "structured dialogue" with affected nations and campaign groups — going further than any previous British prime minister.

Burnham flatly rejected financial reparations, saying Britons today "cannot be held liable for historical wrongs" from a different age.

The intervention comes as King Charles tours the Caribbean, where nations have renewed demands for both a formal apology and reparations payments.

Any formal state apology will depend on the outcome of the proposed dialogue, making it conditional rather than imminent.