Commonwealth chief: 'Time has come' to discuss slavery reparations

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The secretary-general of the Commonwealth has told Sky News that an apology from the King for the UK's role in the slave trade "wouldn't hurt". Speaking to Sky's Ali Fortescue, Shirley Botchwey said many countries are asking for such an apology, and her personal view is that the "time has come" for a discussion about reparations. The King will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November. Buckingham Palace has previously said that apologies and reparations are a matter for the government. A government spokesperson said: "The transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent. We fully recognise its horrific impacts and the ongoing strength of feeling it arouses. "The UK's position is clear: we do not and will not pay reparations. "The UK is committed to continued dialogue with all our partners on legacies of the past. We will continue to work together to build partnerships for the future." Read the latest: https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-burnham-labour-man-city-badenoch-farage-polanski-12593360 #kingcharles #king #slavetrade #slavery #royals #skynews SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos: http://www.youtube.com/skynews Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/skynews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skynews Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skynews For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-news/id316391924?mt=8 Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skynews.android&hl=en_GB Why not listen to one of our podcasts? This is Why, available for free here: https://podfollow.com/thisiswhy or Ed Conway's Stuff Matters, available here: https://podfollow.com/stuff-matters To enquire about licensing Sky News content, you can find more information here: https://news.sky.com/info/library-sales