Miliband: Slavery Apology Won’t Cost British Taxpayers

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has declared that the government’s willingness to consider a formal apology for Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade will not impose additional financial burdens on the UK taxpayer. During an interview on Newscast podcast, Miliband asserted that the current administration believes it is essential to confront this historical reality rather than continue a trend of avoidance.

While the Prime Minister has explicitly ruled out the payment of reparations to affected countries, he has remained non-committal regarding whether the new diplomatic approach might involve any other form of government expenditure. Miliband argued that previous administrations maintained a policy of sweeping the issue under the carpet, a practice he suggested was exemplified by Sir Tony Blair’s handling of the subject nearly two decades ago.

Reflecting on the 2007 remarks by Sir Tony, who described the nation’s participation in the slave trade as a matter of deep sorrow and regret, Miliband described the event as a failed effort. He stated that the former prime minister created a sort of sorry-not-sorry situation, offering an expression of sorrow that was subsequently walked back by his own office. According to Miliband, this historical inconsistency continues to be a reference point in modern diplomatic discussions, including recent talks between Andy Burnham and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley. According to he kind of expressed sorrow, and then, Sorry, and then it was walked back by number 10,” Miliband said.

Miliband further noted that he and Burnham inherited a difficult situation concerning the Commonwealth’s stance on the issue. He pointed specifically to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Samoa two years ago, which he described as a diplomatic failure that escalated into a verbal confrontation. Miliband characterized this as an issue that has persisted for roughly 20 years, only to grow more significant over time. Miliband said: “On the second day as my time as foreign secretary, I was told, ‘look, one of your tasks is CHOGM 2024, which happened in Samoa, didn’t go well. Really, he added: “This has really been hanging around as an issue for the Commonwealth for sort of 20 years.

Given these past tensions, Miliband maintained that the current government strategy aims to address the history directly. He emphasized that attempting to ignore the existence of these consequences is no longer a viable path for the United Kingdom.