THAROOR QUESTIONS BRITAIN’S LIMITED SLAVERY APOLOGY, DEMANDS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COLONIAL ATROCITIES

November 1, 2026

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has criticised British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s willingness to consider a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, arguing that any such apology would remain incomplete without acknowledging the wider consequences of British colonialism.

Reacting to Burnham’s recent remarks, Tharoor welcomed the possibility of a formal apology on behalf of the British state for the horrors of slavery but described the exclusion of colonialism from the proposed acknowledgement as “inexplicable and inexcusable”. In a post on X, the Thiruvananthapuram MP reiterated that moral accountability for colonial exploitation was indispensable.

Tharoor argued that Britain had yet to offer a formal apology for the suffering, economic exploitation and destruction inflicted on millions of people during its colonial expansion. He maintained that the issue extended beyond financial compensation, emphasising the importance of historical recognition and moral atonement.

Burnham, writing in The Guardian, said Britain was prepared to enter into a structured dialogue with countries and communities affected by the transatlantic slave trade. He said listening to demands for a formal state apology would form an important part of the process. His remarks came ahead of the Commonwealth leaders’ meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, where the legacy of slavery and demands for reparatory justice are expected to feature prominently.

However, Burnham has rejected financial reparations, arguing that people living today should not be held liable for historical wrongs in which they had no personal involvement. His position has therefore opened the possibility of an official acknowledgement while leaving the question of financial compensation unresolved.

Tharoor, who has extensively written about British colonial rule in his book Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India, has long argued that Britain must confront the historical consequences of its imperial rule. His latest intervention has renewed the debate over whether an apology limited to slavery can adequately address the broader history of colonial exploitation.