# Miliband says slavery apology will not bring costs for UK taxpayer

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/miliband-says-slavery-apology-will-not-bring-costs-for-uk-taxpayer/
- Published: 2026-11-04T02:14:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T06:56:50+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Politics (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm8ezneewr9lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Miliband says a slavery apology will not raise UK taxpayer costs.
- The government has ruled out reparations.
- Talks with affected countries could lead to an apology in 2027.

## Summary

Ed Miliband says considering a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade will not increase costs for UK taxpayers. The government has ruled out reparations, while arguing that acknowledging the past could help address a long-running issue among Commonwealth countries.

Ministers are starting a “structured dialogue” with affected countries, with an apology potentially timed around the G20 summit in Manchester in November 2027. Miliband cited more than three million people being shipped with the British state’s complicity over roughly two centuries; hundreds of thousands died during the journey. He said the government wanted to confront the history after earlier disagreements, including at the 2024 Commonwealth summit in Samoa.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.