The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has refused to apologise for the UK’s role in the slave trade or to commit to paying reparations. The refusal came in response to a question from Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy in the House of Commons.

Ribeiro-Addy noted that former prime ministers and heads of state had “only ever expressed sorrow or deep regret” since the late MP Bernie Grant first asked the government for an apology 23 years ago.

Sunak responded by saying that the UK government had “acknowledged the wrongs of the past” and that it was “right to do so”. He added that the government had “taken steps to address the legacies of the past”, including the establishment of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the Race Disparity Unit.

However, Sunak did not commit to paying reparations or to issuing an apology for the UK’s role in the slave trade. His response was met with criticism from Ribeiro-Addy and other MPs, who argued that an apology was necessary in order to “acknowledge the wrongs of the past”.

The UK government’s refusal to apologise for the slave trade and to commit to reparations has been widely criticised by human rights organisations and campaigners. They argue that an apology and reparations are necessary in order to address the legacy of slavery and to ensure that the victims and their descendants are properly compensated.