British PM says he is open to formal apology for slavery, but rules out financial reparations

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is open to apologizing for the UK's historic slavery. However, he ruled out making financial repairs.

The Prime Minister argued that the current British people should not be held responsible for historical mistakes. The country transported around 3.2 million enslaved Africans.

Ahead of the Commonwealth summit, Caribbean leaders plan to push for reparations. Burnham proposed helping vulnerable nations repay debts over longer terms and at better rates.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to the possibility of issuing a formal apology for the United Kingdom's historic role in slavery.

The statement comes ahead of a Commonwealth summit scheduled for next week, where he is expected to face pressure for financial reparations.

In an article published in The Guardian newspaper, Burnham stated that Britain was "offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade".

During this period, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and sold into slavery.

"Hearing calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will be an important part of this process, and I am open to them," he added.

Burnham, however, rejected calls for financial relief. "I do not believe that the British people of today can be held responsible for historical mistakes, however heinous, which occurred at a different time, under different laws and in which they had no personal role," he wrote.

Between the 15th and 19th centuries, millions of Africans were sold into slavery by European traders.

Of that total, about 3.2 million were transported by Britain across the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database.

Ahead of the meeting of Commonwealth heads of government, scheduled for next week in Antigua and Barbuda, King Charles, who is visiting the Caribbean, said that "it is right that we recognize the great suffering and injustices of the past".

The expectation is that Caribbean leaders will press for reparations, which could include debt relief, resources for development, education, health and measures to address the effects of climate change.

Burnham also wrote in the Guardian that he intended to "launch a new debt campaign", with measures to help the most vulnerable countries "repay their debts over a longer period and at better rates".

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, welcomed Burnham's statements and his proposals for aid to the affected countries.

However, he highlighted, in a Facebook post, that the historical position of Caribbean countries on reparations remains unchanged.