Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to calls for Britain to formally apologise for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, while ruling out financial reparations. The position was set out ahead of next week's Commonwealth heads of government meeting in the Caribbean, where leaders are expected to press the issue again.

Writing in The Guardian, Mr Burnham expressed his personal sorrow and regret for the suffering caused by the trade, and offered what he called a structured dialogue with those affected. He said listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state would form an important part of that process, adding: "I am open to them." He described holding difficult conversations to safeguard the Commonwealth as both the right thing and the patriotic thing to do.

Apology considered, payments ruled out

On reparations, however, the Prime Minister drew a firm line, in keeping with the stance of his predecessors. He said he did not believe financial reparations were the right answer, arguing that people living in Britain today could not be held liable for historical wrongs committed in a different age, under different laws, in which they played no personal part.

Instead, Mr Burnham said he would launch a drive on debt servicing, aimed at helping countries repay over longer periods at better rates. Chancellor John Healey, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and former prime minister Gordon Brown are to join him at the summit to work on that initiative. Campaigners for reparatory justice said the statement was disappointing and would not quell demands from Caribbean nations, while a government source told the BBC the move was morally the right thing to do. Britain has never formally apologised for slavery.