Burnham has said he is open to calls for an apology over Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, but does not support reparations as the appropriate response.
The comments come as the question of how Britain should acknowledge its involvement in the trade continues to be discussed. Burnham said the country must “face up to the past” and recognise its historical role.
However, he said reparations were “not the right answer”. The position leaves open the possibility of an apology while rejecting financial or other reparatory measures as the preferred way of responding to the legacy of slavery.
No further details about the form an apology might take, or the specific proposals being considered, were provided in the supplied material. The latest position is that Burnham supports confronting Britain’s historical involvement and remains open to an apology, but opposes reparations.
