UK foreign minister hints at formal slavery apology but says payouts ‘not feasible’

Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has expressed skepticism about providing formal slavery reparations, despite King Charles III's recent public remorse over the country's role in the transatlantic slave trade. Speaking to the BBC, Miliband stated that paying reparations is "not feasible" or "practical" for the UK. He emphasized that while there are "things we can work on cooperatively," the UK will not "shift our position on reparations."

Miliband also hinted that Britain might offer a formal apology at next year's G20 summit in Manchester, but assured that such an apology would not pave the way for financial compensation. Meanwhile, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Andy Burnham floated a "debt reset" plan aimed at helping the poorest Commonwealth countries manage their debt.

Burnham maintained that his stance against reparations for slavery, saying, "I do not believe that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs." The UK's historical role in slavery has strained relations with its former colonies, leading to tense discussions at past meetings. Burnham's shift in position regarding reparations has faced criticism at home from the opposition Conservative Party and right-wing press, while King Charles expressed his "horror" over slavery without offering a formal apology, acknowledging the "monstrous injustice" it still casts on the islands and the Commonwealth.