# UK commits to ‘time-bound’ talks on slavery apology

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uk-commits-to-time-bound-talks-on-slavery-apology/
- Published: 2026-11-05T02:17:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T03:27:47+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Politics (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqdr872jkk7vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- The UK has agreed to time-limited talks on slavery’s historical harms.
- Reparations are ruled out, while a formal apology remains possible.
- The talks could conclude in about a year.

## Summary

The UK has agreed to take part in structured, time-limited talks about the transatlantic slave trade and its historical harms, according to Commonwealth leaders. The commitment signals a willingness to address long-standing calls from affected countries, while the UK has ruled out reparations and is open to a formal apology.

The talks’ timetable has yet to be set, but Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband suggested they could finish in about a year and said an apology by next November’s G20 summit in Manchester was broadly possible. The agreement was included in the final communique after the Commonwealth meeting in Antigua and Barbuda. King Charles said the slave trade still casts a shadow over Commonwealth countries and described the history as a source of profound sorrow.

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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.