The Political Situation in the UK

Burnham open to a British apology for slavery

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that the country could offer a public apology for its historical role in slavery.

In an op-ed for *The Guardian*, he writes that the government wishes to engage in discussions with "those affected by the transatlantic slave trade"—a system in which at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery.

At the same time, the Prime Minister rejects demands for financial reparations.

"I do not believe that Britons today can be held responsible for historical wrongs, however terrible they may have been," Burnham writes.

Kemi Badenoch opposes an apology: "The Empire was a positive force"

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch disagrees with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, arguing that an apology for the UK’s historical role in slavery is a bad idea. She told Sky News that while terrible things occurred across the globe, the British Empire was, "on the whole, a positive force."

Badenoch warns that a British apology could lead the rest of the world to perceive the country as weak.

"We are a strong country, and I want our Prime Minister to be the greatest defender of the United Kingdom—not just another person walking around offering apologies."

The Tory leader emphasizes that the UK cannot change the past and that it is more important to look toward the future.