Miliband criticises Blair's slavery statement and defends Burnham's plan for a formal apology

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband used a BBC interview on 4 November to defend Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to open talks with Commonwealth countries about a British apology for slavery. Burnham is currently attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, a gathering of countries mostly linked to the former British Empire, in Antigua and Barbuda. Miliband said the new approach differs from earlier efforts to settle the issue without a full apology.

Criticism of Blair

Speaking to the BBC's Newscast podcast, Miliband described former prime minister Tony Blair's approach as a "sorry not sorry" apology. In 2006, Blair said the slave trade was "profoundly shameful" and expressed "deep sorrow that it ever happened", but did not formally apologise. Miliband said Blair "kind of expressed 'sorrow, but'", then said sorry, and the statement was walked back by No 10.

Miliband said people had been bruised by the way the past was handled, with a sense that the issue was to be swept under the carpet. He suggested there was now a shared interest in moving the Commonwealth on.

Apology, but not reparations

Burnham wants a "structured dialogue" with Commonwealth countries on the wording of an apology. Asked whether a formal apology could be reached by the time the UK hosts the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester next November, Miliband answered: "Broadly speaking, yes."

He stressed that the UK is not offering reparations and that taxpayers would not be asked to pay a penny more. Miliband said partners had been told in advance that the government is open to an apology but will not shift its position on reparations, which he called impractical and not feasible, though there were areas for co-operative work.

Miliband has had a strained relationship with Blair for years, since Miliband criticised aspects of New Labour's record while leading the Labour Party from 2010 to 2015.