Tory leader Kemi Badenoch opposes formal British apology for slave trade, calls it a 'navel-gazing distraction'

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has rejected calls for Britain to formally apologise for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, arguing that such a move would distract from present-day priorities and could lead to demands for financial compensation.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Badenoch criticised Prime Minister Andy Burnham's willingness to consider an official apology ahead of next week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda. She described the proposed apology as a “navel-gazing distraction” and questioned whether future British leaders should continue attending Commonwealth summits if discussions increasingly focus on reparations.

Badenoch told the broadcaster that she was concerned an apology would encourage campaigners and Caribbean countries to seek money from Britain for its historical involvement in slavery. “What I'm worried about is that this CHOGM summit is yet another opportunity for people to start asking Britain for money because of the slave trade,” she said, adding that the Commonwealth should focus on cooperation and future priorities rather than historical disputes.

She also ruled out financial compensation for slavery, arguing that an apology could become a starting point for further demands. “I don't think we should be giving any money to compensate people for the slave trade, and I don't think that Burnham needs to be apologising because it is a lever to wedge open the door to ask for cash,” she said.

In a separate social media post, Badenoch argued that discussions about slavery should acknowledge the involvement of people from different regions, including African kingdoms and merchants who captured and sold enslaved people. “Slavery was an evil in which people from every continent and region participated,” she wrote. She also referred to Britain's role in ending the transatlantic slave trade, arguing that its historical record should be considered in full rather than through selected episodes.

Badenoch said a previous statement by former prime minister Tony Blair, who expressed Britain's “deep sorrow and regret” over its involvement in the slave trade nearly two decades ago, should be sufficient. She maintained that another formal apology was unnecessary.

Her remarks came after Burnham said he was open to the possibility of a formal apology for Britain's role in the trafficking and enslavement of Africans. In an article published in The Guardian, he said he wanted to establish a dialogue with countries affected by the trade but ruled out direct financial reparations. Instead, Burnham proposed exploring ways to help poorer countries restructure their debt on more favourable terms, allowing them to manage repayments more effectively. He also argued that people living in Britain today should not be held financially responsible for historical actions in which they had no personal involvement, while acknowledging the scale of the suffering caused by the slave trade.

The debate has gained renewed attention ahead of the Commonwealth summit, where Caribbean leaders are expected to raise the issue of reparatory justice. King Charles III is also visiting the region ahead of the meeting. During his tour, he has referred to the suffering caused by slavery and visited a site in Guyana associated with a rebellion by enslaved people against British authorities. The British government has not issued a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade or agreed to pay reparations. Burnham's proposal has reopened discussion over whether Britain should formally acknowledge its historical responsibility, even without offering financial compensation.