Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s indication that Britain may issue a formal apology for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, arguing that leaving out colonialism makes any such apology incomplete and unjustifiable.
In a post on X, Tharoor said he welcomed the prospect of an apology for the horrors of slavery but called the omission of British colonialism “inexplicable and inexcusable.”
“It remains deeply shameful that Britain has never said a simple ‘sorry’ for the loot, pillage, death and destruction perpetrated during the colonial era on millions of innocent victims of British imperialism,” he wrote.
Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram and is the author of Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India, has long maintained that financial reparations for colonialism are impractical. He has previously argued that “no credible figure is payable and no payable figure is credible,” while insisting that moral accountability remains essential.
Burnham’s comments appeared in The Guardian ahead of a Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda. The UK Prime Minister said Britain must confront its “complicated history” to strengthen the Commonwealth, noting that several member countries affected by the slave trade have long sought an open discussion of its lasting effects. He suggested that Britain’s reluctance to address the issue has weakened the organisation.
The proposed apology would mark the first formal British acknowledgment of its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Tharoor’s response highlights the parallel demand from many former colonies — particularly in Asia and Africa — for recognition of the broader impacts of British imperial rule beyond the slave trade alone.