By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has declared the British Empire was "overall a force for good" while criticising Prime Minister Andy Burnham for considering a formal apology for slavery ahead of next week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua.
Badenoch's Comments on Empire and Apology
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Badenoch acknowledged "terrible things that happened" under the empire but argued similar atrocities occurred worldwide, including in regions without empires. She warned that an apology would make Britain appear weak and encourage demands for financial reparations. "We've had enough of apologising. It's time for us to move on," she said.
Burnham's Position and Commonwealth Summit
Burnham has offered Commonwealth nations the opportunity to discuss a slavery apology but insisted financial reparations will not follow. The prime minister's stance comes as King Charles III begins a Caribbean tour, with the monarch expected to address slavery with "unflinching honesty" at the summit. Badenoch argued the prime minister's approach risks putting pressure on the King during his visit.
Chancellor Healey on Financial Liability
Chancellor John Healey supported the prime minister's openness to an apology discussion but rejected financial liability for the slave trade. He told the BBC that Britons today should not accept financial responsibility for events centuries ago in which they had no role. The UK has previously issued formal apologies for the Windrush scandal, Bloody Sunday, and the Hillsborough disaster.
