Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has stated that British taxpayers will not incur any additional costs related to a potential apology for the nation's role in the transatlantic slave trade. These remarks came during an interview at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, where Miliband addressed the UK's evolving stance on reparations.
Miliband indicated that a formal apology could be ready by the time of the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester next November. However, he was firm that this shift in approach would not lead to increased financial burdens on UK taxpayers. "No. I mean, not… no. And that's – for us, that's never been what it's about," Miliband told the BBC, clarifying that the UK would not alter its position on financial reparations.
The Foreign Secretary's comments offered a contrast to earlier statements by other figures, including Andy Burnham, who had opened the door to a formal apology as part of a 'structured dialogue' with affected nations. Burnham has suggested alternatives to direct cash payments, such as debt write-offs and downgrades, alongside funding for health, education, and Net Zero projects, though the latter would reportedly come from existing aid budgets. The UK has committed £40 million over three years for infrastructure investment, including green energy, in the Caribbean.
Calls for an apology and reparations for the slave trade have intensified in recent years. St. Lucia's Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), has indicated the bloc is prepared to engage in such discussions. During the summit, the UK Prime Minister met with the President of Ghana, who acknowledged a "shift in some very strong positions" by Britain and a greater openness to global interaction.
This development follows remarks by King Charles III at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where he acknowledged the transatlantic slave trade "still casts a shadow" and expressed profound personal sorrow, but emphasized that "we cannot change the past."