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So which is it? Ed Miliband claims UK won't pay 'a penny more' due to slavery apology move… after Burnham repeatedly refused to give the same guarantee

So which is it? Ed Miliband claims UK won't pay 'a penny more' due to slavery apology move… after Burnham repeatedly refused to give the same guarantee

Labour risks giving mixed signals on reparations today after Andy Burnham opened the door to a formal apology.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has pledged that Britons will not pay a 'penny more' due to the Government's shift in approach.

But the comments, in an interview at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, contrasted with the PM repeatedly refusing to give the same guarantee. 

Mr Burnham's offer to say sorry as part of a 'structured dialogue' with other nations has caused a storm, with critics pointing out the UK also led the way in smashing the global slave trade. 

The King pointedly avoided any suggestion of an apology in his keynote speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday, insisting 'we cannot change the past'.

Charles did however acknowledge that the transatlantic slave trade 'still casts a shadow' and that 'shameful chapter of history is one that fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow'.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has pledged that that Britons will not pay a 'penny more' due to the Government's shift in approach

The offer from Andy Burnham (right, with Barbados counterpart Gaston Browne) to say sorry as part of a 'structured dialogue' with other nations has caused a storm

Asked by the BBC whether the formal apology could be ready by the time of the G20 leaders' summit in Manchester next November, Mr Miliband said: 'Broadly speaking, yes.'

But asked whether the new approach could end up costing UK taxpayers a penny more, Mr Miliband said it wouldn't. 

He added: 'I mean, not… no. And that's – for us, that's never been what it's about. And that's why it's been important that you know, and I did have this conversation with our partners in advance. I said, "look, we are going to say we are willing to say that we're open to an apology, but we're not going to shift our position on reparations."

'It's not for us. It's not the right answer. It's not practical. It's not feasible for us, but there are things we can work on co-operatively.'

He added: 'And you know there's been a lot of acceptance of that, and I mean people have been honestly a bit bruised by the past, what happened in the past, the sense that we just really just wanted to sweep this issue under the carpet and not confront it.

'My sense is there's a bit of a sigh of relief that OK well at least you know at least there's a sense of we've got a shared interest now in moving the Commonwealth on.'

Mr Miliband said Tony Blair 'did sort of do a kind of sorry not sorry situation', adding: 'He sort of, yeah, he kind of expressed sorrow, but and then said sorry, and then it was walked back by No 10.'

Pressed in a separate interview whether the slavery dialogue could involve any additional contributions from UK taxpayers, Mr Burnham said merely that was 'getting ahead' of the process.

'What we need to have is that meaningful dialogue where we take time to listen,' he said.

Mr Burnham has been floating debt write-offs and downgrades instead of cash payments to countries affected by the slave trade. 

The Government is also prepared to fund health, education and Net Zero projects in Commonwealth states, but so far that is from existing aid budgets.

The UK is allocating £40million over three years to speed up critical infrastructure investment including green energy in the Caribbean.

Calls for an apology and reparations have grown in recent years, with St Lucia's Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, chairman of the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) reportedly saying the economic and political bloc was 'ready to engage'.

The King pointedly avoided any suggestion of an apology in his keynote speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday

The PM said the UK wanted to 'work closely with you to make sure we get that right' as he met the president of Ghana for one-to-one talks on the sidelines of the summit yesterday.

Exchanging warm words at the top of the meeting, John Dramani Mahama in turn said Britain had shown a 'shift in some very strong positions' and is now 'more open to interacting with the rest of the world' and the Commonwealth.

After the last CHOGM in 2024, when Downing Street was resistant to any discussions about reparations, the Ghanaian leader said the new PM's approach 'creates a first step for us to continue to work to see how we can put this whole issue of transatlantic slave trade and colonialism behind us'.

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Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back. 

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face. 

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty' 

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni. 

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.' 

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.' 

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman. 

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip. 

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. 

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees. 

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024. 

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit. 

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.  

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie. 

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.' 

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