Caribbean leaders demand a reparations plan costed at up to £18trillion after Burnham said he was 'open' to a slavery apology

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 November 2026 · last updated 2 November 2026.

Caribbean leaders are pressing Burnham for cash payments worth between £5trillion and £18trillion after he wrote in the Guardian that he was "open" to a formal slavery apology ahead of this week's Commonwealth summit in Antigua. Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that without compensation there could be a repeat of "atrocities", while St Lucia's Philip Pierre said the Caribbean's position is that reparations remain the only acceptable answer. The intervention blindsided the King, whose aides had assured journalists as late as Thursday that government policy was "absolutely no apology".

Kemi Badenoch accused Burnham of 'piling pressure' on King Charles, warning the PM had been 'putting his foot in his mouth' since entering No 10.

Badenoch called the apology a 'navel-gazing distraction', adding: 'If every Commonwealth summit becomes an exercise in presenting Britain with demands for cash, we need to ask if it is worth the effort.'

King Charles will NOT echo Burnham's concession — Buckingham Palace says his CHOGM speech will address slavery with 'unflinching honesty' but will fall short of any official apology.