Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has welcomed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s willingness to discuss a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, while stressing that differences over reparations remain.

In an article published in the Guardian on Friday, October 30, Burnham offered structured dialogue with those affected by the slave trade and said he was open to calls for an apology on behalf of the British state. However, he ruled out financial reparations.

The announcement comes during King Charles III’s Caribbean tour and ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, which both the King and Burnham are expected to attend.

Responding on Friday, Mottley said Barbados would participate in the dialogue in good faith as a member of CARICOM, but made clear that the opening for talks did not resolve their differences.

“On reparations in particular, our views differ, and we will say so plainly and respectfully,” she said.

 

Mottley argued that disagreement on some issues should not prevent progress in areas where common ground could be found.

She identified a formal apology, action against anti-Black racism, investment in health and education, and development partnerships addressing systemic poverty and institutional inequality as possible areas for agreement. Fairer debt terms for vulnerable countries, as advocated through the Bridgetown Initiative, were also among the measures she highlighted.

 

Mottley said the CARICOM Ten Point Plan remained a guide for discussions and urged the Caribbean Community, African Union and United Kingdom to build on shared positions while continuing to address their differences.

The debate has also accompanied the King’s visit to the region.

Before leaving Guyana on Friday, Charles visited Independence Park in Georgetown, where 33 people involved in the 1823 Demerara Rebellion were hanged. Ahead of the visit, President Dr Irfaan Ali said an apology would be the next step following the King’s acknowledgement of slavery’s horrors.

In her statement, Mottley underscored Barbados’ own historical connection to the issue, recalling the adoption of a comprehensive slave code in 1661 under English colonial authority. She said the code treated enslaved Africans as property and became a model for similar laws across the region and beyond, stressing that the system was established by law and enforced by the state.

Mottley also credited discussions at the 2024 Commonwealth summit in Samoa with helping open the way for the current engagement.