Sunak rebuffs Labour MP’s call for slave trade apology

The prime minister has rejected a call to apologise for the UK’s role in the slave trade.

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy asked if Rishi Sunak would make a “full and meaningful apology for our country’s role in slavery and colonialism, and commit to reparatory justice”.

Mr Sunak said “no” – “trying to unpick out history” was “not the right way forward”. He said the focus should be on “making sure we have a society that is inclusive and tolerate of people from all backgrounds”, which the government was committed to doing.