Badenoch opposes formal UK apology as Burnham remains open

Kemi Badenoch has opposed renewed consideration of a formal British apology for the transatlantic slave trade, calling it a distraction, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham says a possible apology should be considered through dialogue with affected communities. The disagreement comes as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is due to take place in Antigua and Barbuda. Burnham has said the government is offering structured dialogue with those affected by the slave trade, and that listening to calls for an apology on behalf of the British state would be part of that process. He said he was open to those calls, but has not announced that an apology will be issued. Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, argued that the Commonwealth should focus on the future rather than revisit Britain’s history. She cited former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s 2006 expression of sorrow and regret over Britain’s involvement in the slave trade, which stopped short of a formal apology, as evidence that the country had already addressed its past. Badenoch also questioned whether future Commonwealth meetings would be worthwhile if Caribbean countries continued to seek reparations. Her comments set...