UK mulls apology over slave trade

The United Kingdom is close to issuing a formal apology for its role in the slave trade, according to the country's prime minister.

Andy Burnham made the comment as the leaders of the Commonwealth of Nations countries gathered in Antigua and Barbuda for a summit.

While his government is open to apologizing, he said the UK will not pay reparations, preferring instead to support nations through close cooperation, trade, a possible debt reset, and 40 million pounds ($54 million) for Caribbean infrastructure upgrades.

He added that the UK and nations affected by slavery have begun a "structured dialogue" that could culminate in an apology when the UK hosts a G20 summit in Manchester next November.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC the UK wants to make amends for its historical role as a slave-trading nation and not "sweep it under the carpet", as past governments have done.

Miliband said a partial apology issued 20 years ago did not go far enough.

"This has really been hanging around as an issue for the Commonwealth for sort of 20 years, really. But it's grown and grown," he said. "We thought it was right to confront this issue and not to just try and sort of pretend that it didn't exist."

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries. They share a loose affiliation under the leadership of the British monarch and cooperate, thanks to their use of the English language and their historical ties.

But the issue of slavery is never far from the surface. The practice was legal throughout much of the British Empire. In 1833, the UK parliament passed a law to abolish slavery in most of the British Empire. The UK is thought to have transported around 3 million African slaves to the Caribbean and the United States during this time, a total that has only been surpassed in the modern era by Portugal. Other European nations — including France, the Netherlands, and Spain — also transported large numbers of slaves around the same time. Many non-European countries are also known to have enslaved millions of people.

With some political opponents in the UK criticizing the government for preparing to apologize for something that was legal and widespread at the time, Miliband said the government sees an apology as a sign of strength.

"I think it's the opposite of weak," he said. "I think fragile, weak countries can't face up to their past. I'm really proud of Britain, but being proud of your country is also being willing to face up to things you didn't do."

King Charles III has also addressed the issue, speaking during his tour of the Caribbean about his "sincere sorrow" and the "great suffering of the past".