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PoliticsQuiet 8d · day 12

Burnham open to slavery apology, rules out reparations ahead of Chogm

PM expresses 'sorrow and regret' for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade but says financial reparations are 'not the right answer'.

What to know

  • Burnham says he is open to a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade but rules out financial reparations.
  • He proposes a 'structured dialogue' and debt-servicing reforms instead, to be pursued with Healey, Miliband and Gordon Brown at next week's Chogm summit in Antigua.
  • Caribbean campaigners, including Repair Campaign founder Denis O'Brien, call the statement 'disappointing' and say only a full apology will satisfy Caricom's 15 member states.
  • The statement comes as King Charles continues a tour of the Caribbean amid renewed regional pressure over the slave trade's legacy.

Andy BurnhamAndy Burnham Prime MinisterKing Charles British monarchDenis O'Brien Founder, The Repair CampaignCaricom nations 15-member Caribbean bloc

Burnham open to slavery apology, rules out reparations ahead of Chogm
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments

Peak 20 pieces in 3h at Oct 30, 10 PM; 170 pieces over 12 days (89 articles · 3 videos · 39 posts · 39 comments) Oct 30, 4 PM — 16 pieces · 14 articles · 2 posts — Google News 13, Mastodon 1, Reddit 1, +1 moreOct 30, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Oct 30, 10 PM — 20 pieces · 16 articles · 3 posts · 1 comment — Google News 11, Newswires 5, Mastodon 3, +1 moreOct 31, 1 AM — 8 pieces · 2 articles · 2 posts · 4 comments — Reddit 4, Google News 2, Mastodon 2Oct 31, 4 AM — 12 pieces · 8 articles · 1 post · 3 comments — Newswires 6, Reddit 3, Google News 2, +1 moreOct 31, 7 AM — 20 pieces · 13 articles · 5 posts · 2 comments — Newswires 10, Mastodon 4, Reddit 3, +2 moreOct 31, 10 AM — 10 pieces · 4 articles · 4 posts · 2 comments — Mastodon 5, Newswires 3, Reddit 2Oct 31, 1 PM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1Oct 31, 4 PM — 5 pieces · 1 video · 1 post · 3 comments — Reddit 4, YouTube 1Oct 31, 7 PM — 5 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post · 2 comments — Reddit 3, Google News 2Oct 31, 10 PM — 3 pieces · 3 comments — Reddit 3Nov 1, 1 AM — 3 pieces · 3 comments — Reddit 3Nov 1, 3 AM — 7 pieces · 2 articles · 2 posts · 3 comments — Reddit 3, Mastodon 3, Newswires 1Nov 1, 6 AM — 8 pieces · 2 articles · 2 posts · 4 comments — Reddit 4, Newswires 2, Bluesky 1, +1 moreNov 1, 9 AM — 8 pieces · 3 articles · 1 video · 4 posts — Mastodon 5, Newswires 2, YouTube 1Nov 1, 12 PM — 4 pieces · 1 article · 1 video · 1 post · 1 comment — Mastodon 1, Reddit 1, YouTube 1, +1 moreNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 9 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 2, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Nov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Nov 2, 12 PM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 posts — Mastodon 1, Reddit 1, Newswires 1Nov 2, 3 PM — 6 pieces · 4 articles · 1 post · 1 comment — Newswires 3, Reddit 1, Google News 1, +1 moreNov 2, 6 PM — 8 pieces · 4 articles · 3 posts · 1 comment — Newswires 3, Mastodon 2, Reddit 2, +1 moreNov 2, 9 PM — 2 pieces · 1 post · 1 comment — Reddit 1, Mastodon 1Nov 3, 12 AM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 1 post · 1 comment — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1, Reddit 1Nov 3, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Nov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 9 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Nov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 9 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Nov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 9 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Newswires 3Nov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Nov 5, 6 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 5, 9 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Nov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 9 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 9 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Nov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 9 PM — quietNov 7, 12 AM — quietNov 7, 3 AM — quietNov 7, 6 AM — quietNov 7, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Nov 7, 12 PM — quietNov 7, 3 PM — quietNov 7, 6 PM — quietNov 7, 9 PM — quietNov 8, 12 AM — quietNov 8, 3 AM — quietNov 8, 6 AM — quietNov 8, 9 AM — quietNov 8, 12 PM — quietNov 8, 3 PM — quietNov 8, 6 PM — quietNov 8, 9 PM — quietNov 9, 12 AM — quietNov 9, 3 AM — quietNov 9, 6 AM — quietNov 9, 9 AM — quietNov 9, 12 PM — quietNov 9, 3 PM — quietNov 9, 6 PM — quietNov 9, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 9 AM — quietToday, 12 PM — quietToday, 3 PM — quietToday, 6 PM — quiet 1–4
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9yesterdaynow · 9:14 PM ET
  1. 4

    Commenters raise African role in historic slave trade

    A reddit commenter questioned why reparations discussions focus only on Britain and not on African tribal leaders who historically sold enslaved people to Western traders.

    “Why are they not seeking reparations from the African tribal leaders that originally enslaved many people from other tribes then provided these people as slaves to the west?”
    — hellvixen1966
    1. first by Sky News Politics, 11d ago · also Sky News, The Telegraph, Yahoo, NBC News, Investing.com News, Reuters +16

      21 more headlines
    2. first by Japan Today, 11d ago · also Politico Europe, Al Jazeera, Times of Israel, Philadelphia Inquirer, Guardian, The Times +1

      7 more headlines
    1 more claim →
    • rmblaber1956@mastodon.social

      https://www. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c53982 39je88o . Of course! An # apology costs nothing. # Reparations , on the other hand, would cost # money - & # Burnham isn't willing to part with that! The issue of # remedial # justice for the wrongs of Britain's imperial past plays NO part in his thinking at all.

      rmblaber1956@mastodon.socialMastodon11d ago2▲view on Mastodon ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 50 posts in this stretch
    • The Great Reform Act in 1832 led to a reduction of pro slavery members replaced with a new cohort of more reform minded, middle-class MPs. The Council of London in 1102 was the first attempt to outlaw slavery within Britain. That was a clerical Court with no force of law but it was hugely influential. Quakers were also prominent as were many…

      Kubr1ckr/ukpolitics11d agoview on r/ukpolitics ↗
    • jonesmurphy@mastodon.social

      “If Caribbean countries are asking Britain for a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, will they also be asking the same of the descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from the trade?” she wrote in a social media post.<--Those African people, including her own ancestors…

      jonesmurphy@mastodon.socialMastodon10d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. 3

    Repair Campaign calls Burnham's statement 'disappointing'

    Denis O'Brien, founder of the Repair Campaign, said the government must stop obfuscating and issue a full formal apology, warning the statement would not quell demands from Caricom nations before the summit.

    “The British Government must stop obfuscating and give a full and formal apology now.”
    — Denis O'Brien
  3. 2

    Social media questions sincerity of Burnham's gesture

    Commentators online accused Burnham of offering symbolic words without substantive action, noting he favours extending debt repayment terms rather than forgiveness.

    “The 'politics of trying' looks more like the politics of pious words on the cheap? Or am I being unfair?”
    — ChrisMayLA6
    • ChrisMayLA6@mastodon.me.uk

      Andy Burnham is promising to seriously discuss a formal apology for slavery by the British Govt..... just don't ask for reparations. And while others might call for a debt jubilee (forgiveness of historic debts for the poorest countries), PM Burnham rather wants to help them pay back the money (perhaps by *extending* the terms). The 'politics of…

      ChrisMayLA6@mastodon.me.ukMastodon12d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  4. 1

    Burnham signals openness to apology, rejects reparations

    Writing in the Guardian ahead of the Chogm summit in Antigua, Burnham expressed 'sorrow and regret' for the slave trade and said he is open to a formal apology, but ruled out financial reparations, proposing instead a 'structured dialogue' and debt-servicing reforms.

    “Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process and I am open to them.”
    — Andy Burnham
    1. first by Anadolu Agency, 11d ago · also Boston Globe, NYT, The Canberra Times

      2 more headlines
    2. first by ITVX, 12d ago · also Evening Standard

    2 more claims →
  5. background

    King Charles tours Caribbean as Caricom presses for apology — King Charles continued his tour of the Caribbean as Caricom nations renewed calls for Britain to apologise for the slave trade and pay reparations ahead of the Commonwealth summit.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. first by Mastodon, 5d ago · also BBC, BBC Africa

  2. first by BBC, 9d ago · also Evening Standard

    3 more headlines
  3. first by The Times of India, 11d ago · also The Independent

    1 more headline
  4. first by Guardian, 9d ago · also The Guardian

  5. first by The Independent, 11d ago

    1 more headline

and 3 smaller pieces

What people are saying 20 voices from 2 sites · best of 51 · verbatim