In contrast, the Prime Minister had told a press conference with the Ghanaian President earlier this month that he was 'sorry' about what had happened, but stopped short of the formal apology whereas Ken Livingstone, London's mayor, made a full apology earlier this week. The British Council's commemorative event in Ghana today includes Blair's expression of his deep regret at the inhumanity and degradation caused by what he has described as a crime against humanity. Lady Amos, the Leader of the Lords and herself descended from slaves, is to call it 'one of the most shameful and uncomfortable chapters in British history'.

Downing Street's position reflects concern that it is difficult for the current generation to apologise for wrongs done centuries ago by distant forebears, while apologies may also open the question of liability for reparation. Amos, attending the event in Ghana, will tackle criticism that the celebrations have focused too much on the role of one white man - William Wilberforce, the Tory MP who led the parliamentary anti-slavery movement - and not enough on the black resistance movement.

The bicentenary of the 1807 legislation abolishing the slave trade has sparked comparisons with the maltreatment of ethnic minorities in modern Britain. Yesterday, the Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, drew a parallel between the exploitation of Africans and the murder of teenager Anthony Walker, killed with an axe as he ran away from racist thugs in the city. Jones told a congregation at Liverpool Cathedral that the more he studied history, 'the more I believe that our racism is rooted in the dehumanising treatment of black people by white people'.
He read out an account by John Newton, the former slave ship commander turned abolitionist, describing the practice of 'jointing' - hacking slaves to death with an axe and throwing their body parts to other slaves.

On the other hand, MICHAEL NAZIR-ALI, Bishop of Rochester took the establishment line. In an article entitled 'Why I am NOT saying sorry for slavery' (Sunday Mail 25 March 07), he praised Britain lavishly.
"This weekend marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade by Act of Parliament. Politicians, religious leaders and social activists have all joined in to bewail the undoubted horrors of slavery and to apologise for British complicity in this social evil. Those marching have been shackled hand and foot and have been wearing sweatshirts saying: "So sorry."
And yet this should be a time of celebration and of thanksgiving for Britain's role in bringing this great oppression and cruelty to an end. Why do the leaders and people of this country find it so difficult to acknowledge their achievements and to recognise the true source of their moral commitments?
If a civilisation is constantly criticised, run down and apologised for, the danger is that its virtues will cease to flourish... "

Mandela boycotts Bristol's slavery commemoration
 Independent on Sunday (25 March 2007) reported that Nelson Mandela has boycotted plans to commemorate the bicentennial of the Act abolishing the slave trade in Bristol after hearing of bitter divisions within the community and accusations of racism and intolerance. Mr Mandela had been invited to Bristol, once one of the busiest slave ports in Britain, by the Lord Mayor, councillor Peter Abraham, for a service of remembrance due to take place today.

But South Africa's former president declined the invitation after local black organisations contacted him to say his presence would be seen as condoning an overwhelmingly white city council which is accused of riding roughshod over the wishes of the city's black population. Spokeswoman Hilary Banks of the Consortium of Black Groups said: "We pointed out to Mr Mandela that Bristol is not quite the liberal, multi-racial place it pretends to be. We said that if you do come to Bristol, we'd like your visit to change the position of the black people in the city. We did not tell him not to come; that was obviously his own decision."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Tony Blair were among a congregation of 2000 attending the memorial service at London's historic Westminster Abbey earlier this week to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, quickly glanced at their programmes. Included in the schedule were speeches and readings from the writings of abolitionist William Wilberforce delivered by a succession of dignitaries and church leaders.

The next item was to be a recitation of the Absolution prayers, but suddenly a clean shaven black man in a colorful African tunic stormed out of his seat and moved up the central aisle towards where the Queen sat with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, along with senior members of the government and their wives.
He shouted within almost 10 feet of them, and pointing: "This service is a disgrace! An insult to Africa. You are the Queen and the Prime Minister--this is all wrong. You don't have the decency, Mr Blair, to make an apology and the word sorry, and you, the Queen ... "

Abbey ushers and security-men rushed forward to tackle him as he roared: "I'm a proud African. Men of God should be ashamed. We should not be here. This is a white man's service--it is an insult to us. I want all the Christians who are Africans to walk out."

Uniformed police entered the church and lent their force to drag the angry black away as he shouted and pointed at the icy-faced Queen. Outside he was handcuffed and arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. His name: Toyin Agbetu. Age: 39. As a founder of the African-British human rights organisation, Ligali, which campaigns against racial discrimination and fights for black people's rights, Agbetu had obtained a media pass to attend the ceremony.

"It was an insult to us. This is just a memorial for William Wilberforce. There was no mention in there of African freedom fighters. What about my ancestors? Where were the Africans talking about how they feel?
"The three major institutions involved in slavery - the monarchy, the government and the church - are all inside there, patting each other on the back. No one has had the decency to say the word 'Sorry'."

The Royal Family and Government have both refused to follow the example of the Church of England and apologise publicly for their roles in the slave trade. Blair has expressed instead a "deep sorrow and regret" for the suffering caused. And royal aides insist that the Queen was acknowledging her family's role and the wrongs of past generations by simply attending the service.

Toyin Agbetu, however, demands that the Queen officially apologize for the monarchy's role in supporting the slave trade, an industry upon which much of the wealth of the UK was built on.
"She has to say sorry. Queen Elizabeth 1 commissioned John Hawkins, financed him, and funded him to go to my continent and enslave my people."
(In 1564 she loaned Hawkins her armed 700-ton ship, Jesus of Lubeck, as a slave vessel, made money from the investment, and knighted him for his efforts.)