UK slavery apology talks at Antigua summit

Before the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, activists planned billboards, a candlelight vigil and a global reparations caravan to press Britain to confront its role in the transatlantic slave trade. King Charles III and UK prime minister Andy Burnham were expected to face protests in St John's. Burnham said the UK was offering a structured dialogue and was open to a formal apology on behalf of the British state.

At the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Burnham set out plans for a debt reset for countries facing rising interest costs and began talks on a formal UK apology for the slave trade. King Charles III called the transatlantic slave trade a shameful chapter of history that filled him with horror and profound personal sorrow. He urged leaders to learn from the past and build modern partnerships, but did not issue a formal apology.

After the summit, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said a possible formal apology would not add to British taxpayer costs, though the prime minister declined to say whether the approach could involve additional taxpayer money. Commonwealth leaders recorded UK agreement to engage in structured, time bound, inclusive and good faith dialogue on the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and its historical harms. Miliband said talks are likely to conclude in around a year, with a possible apology around the G20 summit in Manchester in November 2027.