Burnham signs off £40m Caribbean aid and is to unveil a Commonwealth 'debt reset' as slavery apology talks begin
Andy Burnham, the UK Prime Minister, playing cricket in Antigua, as Caribbean Community bloc chief Philip J Pierre warned that slavery apology talks which rule out reparations "cannot be a complete dialogue.King Charles met Andy Burnham for the first time since the slavery reparations row erupted, the two men coming face to face at a bar and restaurant called the Sticky Wicket, alongside a cricket ground in Antigua.
Burnham is set to formally launch slavery apology negotiations with Commonwealth leaders at the Antigua summit on Tuesday. Diplomatic sources indicate that a formal apology acknowledging Britain's involvement in the slave trade could follow within months. The £40m package comes from existing aid budgets and is designated for Caribbean infrastructure, including renewable energy projects, over a three-year period. Burnham has ruled out direct financial reparations but acknowledges the UK has been "sticking its head in the sand" and says it must now engage seriously.
Barbados PM Mia Mottley, who is seeking trillions in reparations, was scheduled to meet Burnham on Monday evening.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has urged against issuing any apology, warning it could open the door to trillion-pound compensation demands.
Burnham pushed back on suggestions he was pressuring the King, stating 'We are reaching out and listening' following Charles's opening of the summit.
