UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has rejected calls for a formal UK slavery apology, arguing that Britain should stop looking backwards and focus instead on modern slavery, economic cooperation and strengthening the Commonwealth.
Her comments come after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain was open to discussing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade while ruling out financial reparations.
Burnham’s position represents a shift from previous British governments, though he maintains that present-day taxpayers should not be held financially liable for historic abuses.
“Slave trade happened centuries ago. How are we still talking about it?” Badenoch said in an interview.
She argued that modern forms of slavery remain a pressing problem, including within some Commonwealth countries, and should command greater political attention.
“I want us to start looking to the future, not the past,” she said.
Badenoch Fears Apology Could Open Door to Claims
Badenoch has repeatedly argued that a formal apology could be used to strengthen demands for financial compensation from Britain.
“What I’m worried about is that this CHOGM summit is yet another opportunity for people to start asking Britain for money because of the slave trade,” she told Sky News.
She said the Commonwealth should focus on shared security interests, economic partnerships and cooperation rather than apologies and reparations.
The debate has intensified ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, where Caribbean leaders and reparations campaigners are pressing Britain to engage more directly with the legacy of slavery.
Caribbean governments have argued that reparatory justice is not simply about cash payments. Proposals have included debt relief, investment in health and education, development support and measures addressing inequalities linked to slavery and colonialism.
King Charles ‘Could Face Pressure’
Badenoch also questioned whether Burnham’s public position could place King Charles III in a difficult political position.
“I think that if he starts going in to do things which the sovereign is not doing, I think that he could create pressure,” she said.
King Charles is expected to address the historical legacy of slavery during the Commonwealth gathering, with Buckingham Palace indicating that he will confront what it described as the “shameful aspects” of Britain’s past. He has not, however, announced a formal apology or endorsed financial reparations.
Badenoch said Britain should project strength rather than create the impression that it can be pressured into compensation.
“I don’t want people to see Britain as a weak country. We are a strong country,” she said.
Commonwealth Should ‘Look Forward’
Badenoch drew on her childhood in Nigeria to argue that the Commonwealth can still play an important role in promoting democracy and cooperation.
She recalled Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth during military rule in the 1990s and said the organisation could be “a force for good” when members use it to promote common interests.
Her position puts the Conservatives firmly against an apology and reparations, while Burnham has opened the door to formal dialogue and a possible apology but rejected direct financial compensation.
The disagreement comes as Caribbean leaders insist that Britain must go further in addressing the long-term effects of slavery.
For Badenoch, however, the priority should be future economic and security cooperation. “The Commonwealth should be looking forward, not endlessly backwards,” she said.
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