The United Kingdom government has confirmed that it will not apologize for Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade during this week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit in Samoa. Downing Street announced on October 21 that it also would not be paying reparations for slavery.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is set to attend the biennial Commonwealth meeting, has faced increasing pressure from Caribbean leaders advocating for reparations for the historical impacts of the slave trade. Despite calls from Labour lawmakers for the Prime Minister to address these issues at the summit, his office maintained that discussions on reparations would not occur.
A spokesperson for Starmer stated, “Reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting," reiterating the government's longstanding position against reparations. The spokesperson added that the Prime Minister would focus on discussing shared challenges and opportunities within the Commonwealth, particularly in driving economic growth.
When questioned about the possibility of an apology, the spokesperson confirmed, “the position on apology remains the same; we won’t be offering an apology at CHOGM.” However, they emphasized the UK's commitment to engaging with global partners on pressing issues affecting current and future generations.