KEMI BADENOCH: Britain can't afford this giveaway Government

Published: 18:00 EDT, 2 November 2026 | Updated: 22:22 EDT, 2 November 2026 Andy Burnham wants everyone to like him – and that's a serious problem for Britain.There is a fundamental problem with his approach to government. He seems to think that if you give people what they want, they will eventually stop asking for more.Unfortunately it doesn't work like that, so Britain is paying the price for a prime minister who is more interested in being liked than making difficult decisions.Take his intervention on slavery reparations this weekend.In 2006 Tony Blair expressed Britain's deep sorrow and regret for our role in the transatlantic slave trade, and the following year he explicitly said sorry. Nearly 20 years later, Commonwealth leaders are still demanding reparations. Does Burnham seriously believe that another apology will somehow settle the matter?Slavery was evil. Britain played a shameful part in that history, but we also led the world in ending the transatlantic slave trade.Burnham says he won't pay reparations, but this will be just the first of many requests. Where does it end?Andy Burnham wants everyone to like him – and that's a serious problem for Britain, writes Conservative Party leader Kemi BadenochKemi Badenoch: 'I am not supporting another slavery apology'The Commonwealth should be looking forward, not back for another opportunity to invoice the British taxpayer – we don't have the money for this.And to make matters worse, Burnham is doing the same thing at home too. Yesterday, his Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a humiliating climbdown on her plans to tighten indefinite leave to remain.She wanted to make people wait longer before they could settle permanently in Britain and access benefits. A perfectly reasonable principle and one which we would have supported. But Angela Rayner and the Left flank of Labour backbenchers didn't like it, so they are preparing to exempt care workers already here.Mahmood's own department says that permitting these 350,000 lower-paid care workers and dependants could cost British taxpayers £10 billion. Apparently that is a price Burnham is willing to pay to buy his backbenchers more votes.We have seen this all before when the same backbenchers demanded more on welfare, unsurprisingly as many of them have more welfare claimants in their constituencies than their majority.But nothing is ever enough. Now the very same people are coming back for another helping on immigration where they see an opportunity to push the Government further to get what they want.Even the trade unions are prepared to stand their ground and fight for what they believe in, but Burnham appears incapable of putting up a fight against his own party.Burnham is worse than Keir Starmer, because he seems to have skipped the argument and gone straight to the surrender.And where is he while all this is happening? Flying off to Antigua, having dropped his Commonwealth apology bombshell, leaving his Home Secretary to explain her embarrassing climbdown to Parliament without the Prime Minister standing beside her.Britain now has a giveaway Government, controlled by backbenchers who believe the answer to every problem is another concession, another promise or another cheque.We cannot afford it. Welfare spending is spiralling, businesses are struggling under Labour's taxes, and our national defence needs urgent funding. But instead of confronting these problems, Burnham is opening the door to more demands abroad while giving in to more demands at home.It is not time for a people-pleasing PM – he needs to get a grip and stop spending our money to make others happy while bankrupting Britain.That is why I am not supporting another slavery apology. I know where this leads.We are already taxed to the hilt, we already pay too much welfare. Enough is enough.READ MORE: Burnham finds £40million more aid: Caribbean given larger handout as PM prepares slavery apology READ MORE: Charles brushes away Sunday's soaking as he and Camilla visit colonial museum in Antigua amid slavery reparations row PROFESSOR DOUG STOKES: Ending slavery cost Britain far more than it ever profited from the trade. The demand for reparations is simply blackmail