- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed the British Empire was overall a force for good while criticising Prime Minister Andy Burnham for considering a formal apology for slavery.
- Mrs Badenoch warned that issuing an apology ahead of the Commonwealth summit in Antigua risks making Britain look weak and opening the door to demands for financial reparations.
- She expressed concern that discussions around a formal apology could place undue pressure on the King during his visit to the summit.
- Chancellor John Healey defended considering an apology but insisted that the British public should not accept financial liability for events from hundreds of years ago.
- The debate comes ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where the King is expected to speak about the issue of slavery with sincere sorrow.
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