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Slavery reparations 'not feasible' for UK

AFP November 05, 2026 Less than a minute read

Footage broadcast by the UK Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) via the Parliament TV website in the House of Commons on September 8, 2026 shows Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband delivering a speech on an import ban of goods from illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON:

Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has said it was "not feasible" for the country to pay reparations for slavery, after King Charles III expressed remorse amid calls for a formal apology and compensation.

"It's not the right answer. It's not practical. It's not feasible for us, but there are things we can work on co-operatively," Miliband told the BBC in an interview aired on Wednesday. He added that London would not "shift our position on reparations".

Miliband also hinted that Britain could issue a long-demanded formal apology for its role in the slave trade next year when it hosts a G20 leaders' summit.

Asked whether the UK could reach that point by the meeting in Manchester next November, Miliband said: "Broadly speaking, yes". But he insisted an apology would not pave the way for financial compensation.