Poll finds most Britons oppose slave reparations but support formal apology

Two-thirds of Britons oppose paying financial reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, according to a poll by YouGov reported by the Daily Mail. The poll found that resistance to financial compensation extends across all political parties, including most people who voted Green at the last election. [1]

The Daily Mail reported that 52 per cent of respondents supported a formal apology, with 25 per cent strongly supporting the idea, while 37 per cent opposed it. The polling follows comments from Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Commonwealth Summit, where he offered to issue an apology as part of a structured dialogue with other countries. Critics warned that making a formal apology would lead to further demands for financial reparations. [1][4]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously stated that he was open to a formal apology while ruling out financial reparations. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also stated that any potential formal apology for the slave trade would not impose costs on British taxpayers, following renewed calls for reparations from Caribbean nations during a visit by King Charles III. [4][5]

Reparations for slavery can include financial compensation, legal remedies for damages, public apologies, and guarantees that enslavement will not recur. Claims for historical slave trade reparations date back to the 18th century. [3]