Foreign Secretary Miliband has said an apology for slavery would not result in costs for UK taxpayers, while arguing that Britain cannot ignore or conceal its past.
Speaking to Newscast, Miliband said the country could not simply place its history “under the carpet”. His comments linked the question of an apology for slavery with the wider need to acknowledge Britain’s historical record.
The foreign secretary did not indicate in the supplied material that an apology would involve financial payments or other costs to the taxpayer. His remarks instead focused on the principle of addressing the past openly.
The comments come amid discussion of whether Britain should issue an apology relating to slavery. No further details about the form, timing or scope of any apology were provided.
Miliband’s position, as set out in the interview, is that recognising the historical record and avoiding financial costs to taxpayers are not incompatible. The latest position is that he supports confronting the past while stating that an apology would not create a cost for the public purse.
