𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Ed Miliband has backed calls for Britain to say sorry for the slave trade on a trip to Antigua. It comes following mounting calls for the country to hand over billions in reparations, made by several Commonwealth heads of government.

The Foreign Secretary was speaking in the Caribbean at a meeting of Commonwealth leaders attended by the King and the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham chose not to talk about compensation calls but instead posed for the cameras to play a set of steel drums. Mr Miliband revealed the Government had told his Caribbean partners it was “open to an apology”.

But he insisted British taxpayers would not pay a penny more under Mr Burnham’s “new approach” to the Commonwealth. It comes after the Prime Minister was accused of handing over reparations by stealth, after agreeing £40million in climate change funding.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Miliband said previous governments had tried to “sweep under the carpet” the issue of slavery. Asked whether the new approach could cost UK taxpayers a penny more, he said: “No.

“I mean, not … no. And that’s – for us, that’s never been what it’s about.

“I did have this conversation with our partners in advance. I said, ‘look, we are going to say we are willing to say that we’re open to an apology, but we’re not going to shift our position on reparations’.

“It’s not for us. It’s not the right answer. It’s not practical. It’s not feasible for us, but there are things we can work on cooperatively.”

Fears had grown that Britain was preparing to fork out billions after several Commonwealth leaders demanded reparations. Mr Burnham ruled out such payments in an article for a national newspaper, arguing it was not the right approach.

But Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused him of “reparations by stealth” after the £40million climate cash was announced earlier this week.

Mr Burnham hailed the gathering as “the most successful meeting of the Commonwealth in recent times”. The Prime Minister added: “The King’s words have resonated powerfully here and we’re really pleased with how it’s gone.”

He was referencing the King’s remarks on the “profound personal sorrow” he felt over the horrendous trade. Critics of any apology point to Britain’s leading role in abolishing the slave trade, with the Royal Navy spending decades policing the ban on the high seas.

They also cite Prince Albert’s 1840 speech condemning the trade, at a meeting of the Society for the Extinction of the Slave Trade and for the Civilization of Africa.