British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is open to calls for Britain to make a formal apology for its historical participation in slavery. Next week, he will attend the Commonwealth summit, at which time he is likely to face financial compensation claims. Burnham wrote in the “Guardian” that Britain is seeking “structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade”; in that slave trade, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and sold as slaves. He added: “Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British nation will be an important part of this process, and I am open to these calls.” But Burnham rejected the appeal for financial compensation, writing: “I don't think today's British should be responsible for historical crimes — no matter how heinous these crimes are; after all, they occurred in different times, were governed by different laws at the time, and today's British were not personally involved.” According to the “Transatlantic Slave Trade Database”, millions of Africans were trafficked as slaves by European traders from the 15th century to the 19th century; of these, the number transported by Britain via the Atlantic Ocean is estimated to be 3.2 million.

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