Ed Miliband has insisted an apology from the British Government over the transatlantic slave trade will not cost taxpayers despite Andy Burnham preparing to hand Caribbean nations a £40million package for green energy schemes.
The Foreign Secretary told the BBC that previous governments had a “sweep it under the carpet” mindset towards the issue, lamenting at what he described as Sir Tony Blair’s “sorry not sorry” comments.
Mr Miliband acknowledged that while the former Prime Minister expressed “deep sorrow and regret” over the slave trade, he said No10 subsequently “walked back” on the remarks.
Mr Burnham travelled to Antigua on Monday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where he is expected to pledge funds for schemes across the region.
The Prime Minister will lay out strategies to assist poorer member states with debt – while Britain’s own debt mounts to £3billion, as of September 2026.
Over the weekend, Mr Burnham admitted he was contemplating offering an apology on behalf of Britain’s involvement in the historic trade.
However, No10 has ruled out paying reparations directly, while Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, cautioned against issuing an apology at all.
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