Richard Tice calls the debate over slavery reparations and apologies "absurd"

Where this statement fits

Andy Burnham says he is open to a formal UK apology for slavery and rules out reparations; Conservative and Reform UK leaders object, and CARICOM calls for repair

In a Guardian article published on October 30, 2026, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed his "sorrow and regret" for the suffering caused by the transatlantic slave trade, offered a "structured dialogue" with those affected and said he was open to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state. He wrote that he did not believe financial reparations were the right answer and proposed a drive to ease debt costs for the poorest countries. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK's Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman said Britain should not apologise, and Badenoch argued that an apology would be used to seek money. The chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, welcomed the offer of dialogue but rejected Burnham's position on reparations. On November 2, Burnham's spokesperson said his expression of sorrow and regret was "distinct from a formal apology".