Parliamentary Petition Calls for a Slavery Apology

On 25th March 2026, our Chair Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP presented our Parliamentary Petition calling on the government to take the first steps towards reparative justice. Our petition called upon Members of Parliament to urge the UK Government to:

• Issue a full and meaningful apology, on behalf of both the Government and the Monarchy, for Britain’s role in African enslavement and colonialism.

• Establish an All-Party Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry for Truth and Reparatory Justice to examine the legacy of these crimes and propose concrete steps towards repair.

The petition presentation came as UN General Assembly delegates debated a resolution tabled by Ghana to recognise the Transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity. Ultimately, UN Delegates voted overwhelmingly to adopt the resolution, whilst Britain and other European states abstained. As Bell said in the aftermath of this vote: “The government's refusal to support this resolution leaves us on the wrong side of history and more isolated on the world stage.”

A formal state apology for African chattel enslavement from the British state has been one of the APPG’s longstanding objectives, alongside the establishment of an All-Party Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry for Truth and Reparatory Justice. Together, these steps can be a foundation for Britain to begin to address its legacy of enslavement and colonisation.