A coalition of African and Caribbean nations has formally called on the United Kingdom to issue an unconditional apology for its historical role in the transatlantic slave trade, reigniting a debate that cuts to the heart of Britain’s national identity and economic legacy. The demand, made at a summit in Accra, Ghana, this week, is backed by 55 member states of the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It insists that without a formal acknowledgement of wrongdoing, efforts to address the enduring inequalities stemming from slavery will remain incomplete.
The call has landed in a Britain already wrestling with its colonial past. Statues of slave traders have been torn down, university buildings renamed, and institutions from the Bank of England to the Church of England have expressed regret. But a formal government apology has never been issued. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing a cost-of-living crisis and industrial unrest at home, has so far avoided committing to the demand, stating only that the government is “committed to honest and open dialogue” on historical injustices.
For many working-class communities in former industrial cities like Liverpool, Bristol, and Glasgow, the legacy of slavery is not an abstract historical footnote. These ports grew wealthy on the backs of enslaved Africans. Statues of merchants and shipowners still stand in city centres, a constant reminder of a prosperity that never reached the factories and terraced houses where ordinary people laboured. In Liverpool, the International Slavery Museum has long called for a national apology, arguing that the wealth generated from slavery helped fund the Industrial Revolution that transformed Britain into a global power.
But the question of reparations goes beyond an apology. The Caribbean nations have put forward a ten-point plan for reparatory justice, which includes debt cancellation, investment in health and education, and the return of cultural artefacts. Critics argue that the economic cost of such measures would be prohibitive, particularly at a time when public services in the UK are stretched thin. But those who have championed the cause, like Labour MP and former shadow minister Dawn Butler, argue that the moral imperative outweighs the financial one. "This is not about guilt," she said in an interview. "It is about acknowledging that the wealth of this nation was built on the backs of enslaved people, and that we have a responsibility to address the consequences that persist today."
The debate is further complicated by the rise of populist movements in Britain, which frame the demand for an apology as a threat to national pride. The right-wing press has seized on the story, with headlines that decry a “revisionist” history and accuse campaigners of trying to “shame” Britain. Yet polling suggests that public opinion is more nuanced. A YouGov survey last year found that 32% of Britons support a formal apology, while 38% oppose it. Among younger respondents, support rises to 50%.
As the summit in Accra concluded, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo warned that the silence from London was “deafening”. He added: “We are not asking for charity. We are asking for justice.” The UK government has yet to set a date for a formal response. But with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting due later this year, pressure is mounting. For the millions of British citizens of African and Caribbean descent, the question is not just about history. It is about whether their country is willing to stare its past in the face and finally say it is sorry.