King Charles is on a Caribbean tour. Slavery crisis ahead of 56-nation summit

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said today he was "open" to his country issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, but ruled out financial compensation.

Days before attending the Commonwealth leaders' summit to be held in the Caribbean and while King Charles III's regional tour continued, the British Prime Minister wrote an article in The Guardian newspaper, saying, "We need to face the past." He defended his thesis.

While London is under pressure to make a formal apology and pay compensation to Caribbean nations for its central role in the slave trade, Burnham has also vowed to hold "tough talks to secure the Commonwealth for the future".

Burnham stated that she wanted to "express my sadness and regret for the pain and suffering of millions of people and acknowledge how this still shapes our world today"; but insisted compensation was not "the right answer".

In his article published in the newspaper, the Prime Minister said, "I do not think that today's British people can be held responsible for historical mistakes, no matter how heinous, that took place in a different age, under different laws, and in which they played no personal role." he said.

Adding that the transatlantic slave trade was a "cruel and barbaric violation" of the rights of enslaved people, the UK leader suggested a "structured dialogue with those affected".

"Hearing calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will be an important part of this phase, and I am open to those calls," Burnham said. made his assessment.