Slavery Debate: Badenoch Questions Why African Kingdoms Are Not Being Asked To Apologise

The leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party and former Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, has rejected renewed calls for Britain to pay reparations for its historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

Badenoch challenged Caribbean countries demanding compensation from Britain to also consider seeking formal apologies from descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who participated in the capture, sale and exploitation of enslaved Africans.

She argued that present-day British taxpayers should not be held financially responsible for injustices committed several generations before they were born, insisting that discussions about the slave trade must acknowledge the involvement of different societies across the world.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the Conservative leader maintained that slavery was a historical injustice involving participants from different continents and regions. She also highlighted Britain’s eventual role in the campaign to abolish the transatlantic slave trade.

Badenoch questioned whether Caribbean governments seeking an apology from Britain were prepared to make similar demands of African kingdoms and traditional authorities whose predecessors reportedly participated in the trade and benefited financially from it.

She also opposed proposals for direct financial compensation and debt cancellation as forms of reparations, arguing that previous international debt relief programmes had failed to deliver lasting economic improvements in several beneficiary countries.

Citing initiatives such as Jubilee 2000, Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History, Badenoch recalled that more than $100 billion in debt had reportedly been written off approximately 25 years ago. However, she claimed that some of the countries that benefited from the relief had subsequently accumulated even larger debts.

The Conservative leader also criticised Britain’s Labour government over its public spending priorities, arguing that the country should not commit additional financial resources to international reparations while facing domestic welfare expenditure pressures.

She specifically criticised Andy Burnham, accusing him of supporting renewed discussions about Britain’s historical responsibility and the possibility of issuing another formal apology.

Badenoch insisted that British citizens should not be made to bear the financial consequences of events that occurred long before their lifetime, adding that governments should prioritise the economic interests and welfare of their present-day populations.

She further accused some political elites in Commonwealth countries of using Britain’s colonial and slavery history to divert attention from their inability to address current economic challenges.

According to her, governments should concentrate on improving living standards, creating employment opportunities and strengthening their economies rather than repeatedly demanding financial compensation from Britain.

Badenoch also argued that Britain had already acknowledged its historical involvement in the slave trade, pointing to former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s expression of sorrow and regret nearly two decades ago.

She maintained that another formal apology would be unnecessary, insisting that the country’s political leadership should focus on present-day national priorities.

The Conservative leader also called for Commonwealth countries to concentrate on future cooperation, particularly in trade, economic development and security.

She advocated stronger economic partnerships and deeper military cooperation among member countries to address shared challenges, warning that repeated demands for financial compensation could undermine the value of Commonwealth engagements.

Her comments have added to the ongoing international debate over slavery reparations, historical accountability and the responsibilities of countries and institutions that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade.

While Badenoch maintains that present-day British taxpayers should not be financially responsible for historical wrongdoing, reparations campaigners argue that the economic and social consequences of slavery have continued across generations and still contribute to inequalities affecting communities and countries today.