‘Be The Prime Minister, Not The Chief Apologiser’ Badenoch Slams UK PM Over Slave Trade Apology

The Leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham of putting King Charles III in a difficult position by raising the possibility of a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Badenoch argued that Burnham’s position could place the monarch under pressure, particularly as he prepares to address the historical legacy of slavery at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua.

Speaking in an interview with Sky News, the opposition leader faulted the Prime Minister for raising the possibility of an apology, saying he risked putting the King under pressure by taking a position on an issue the monarch had not addressed in the same way.

“I think that if he starts going into doing things which the Sovereign is not doing, I think that he could create pressure,” she said.

Her remarks followed Burnham’s announcement on Saturday that he was open to discussions about a formal apology from the British state for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

Badenoch, however, said Burnham should use the Commonwealth gathering to strengthen Britain’s international relationships, defence cooperation and economic ties rather than engage in discussions about apologies and reparations.

“I don’t think that this is what our Prime Minister should be doing at this Summit,” she said.

“I think he should be talking about how Commonwealth countries should be making themselves, you know, looking at shared interests, allies working together, security cooperation, economic partnerships, not apologies and reparations. We’ve had enough of that.”

She also accused Burnham of making public pronouncements without properly considering their consequences, citing his comments on Scottish independence, national security, social security and the possibility of the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union.

“He just keeps saying things off the top of his head,” Badenoch said.

When asked whether King Charles would be wrong to issue an apology if he chose to, the Conservative leader maintained that the decision rested with the monarch.

“The King is the Sovereign. He is the person who can make a call on that. I don’t think that he is doing that,” she said.

Badenoch said she would rather see the Prime Minister concentrate on Britain’s security and global influence, accusing him of focusing excessively on apologies for the country’s historical actions.

“What I want to see is our Prime Minister actually talking about defending this country for once and being the Prime Minister, not the chief apologiser,” she said.

King Charles is expected to address the historical legacy of the transatlantic slave trade when he opens the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua next week.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the monarch will speak about the “most shameful aspects of the past” with “unflinching honesty”.

However, the Palace has clarified that his remarks will be made in his capacity as Head of the Commonwealth and should not be interpreted as a statement of UK Government policy.

During his ongoing Caribbean engagements, Charles has also acknowledged the suffering endured by enslaved Africans. While visiting The Bahamas, he spoke about the “great suffering” experienced by people subjected to slavery.

Meanwhile, calls for Britain to apologise and provide reparations for its role in the slave trade have gained renewed attention among Caribbean and West African countries, many of which were formerly under British colonial rule.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has welcomed Burnham’s willingness to consider a formal apology, describing the development as a positive step.

In a separate post published on Saturday, Badenoch also opposed demands for Britain to apologise for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and compensate affected Caribbean countries.

She argued that the history of slavery involved participants from different parts of the world, including African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from enslaved people.

Badenoch questioned whether Caribbean nations seeking an apology from Britain would also demand apologies from the descendants of African leaders and merchants who participated in the trade.

“Slavery was an evil in which people from every continent and region participated. We should be honest about the whole history, not select the parts that are politically convenient today, especially given Britain’s leading role in ending the transatlantic slave trade,” she wrote.

Addressing demands for reparations, which include financial compensation and debt relief, the Conservative leader referred to the Jubilee 2000, Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History campaigns. The initiatives advocated debt cancellation for poorer countries about 25 years ago.

She claimed that although more than $100 billion in debt was eventually written off, several of the countries involved had since accumulated even larger debts.

“There is no reason British taxpayers today should be held financially responsible for things that happened generations before any of us were born,” she said.

Badenoch also accused some Commonwealth leaders of invoking historical grievances against Britain to divert attention from their failure to improve the economic conditions of their citizens.

She rejected the argument that Britain should issue another formal apology, noting that former Prime Minister Tony Blair had expressed the country’s “deep sorrow and regret” over its involvement in the slave trade nearly two decades ago.

Describing renewed demands for an apology and reparations as a distraction, she maintained that Commonwealth countries should concentrate on economic cooperation and security partnerships instead of repeatedly revisiting historical grievances.

“If every Commonwealth summit becomes an exercise in presenting Britain with demands for cash then we need to start asking if it is worth the effort,” she added.