Burnham signs off £40m in Caribbean aid as he opens talks on 'a formal apology' for the slave trade
Andy Burnham fell while playing cricket at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, where he has ruled out reparations but launched structured talks on a formal slavery apology.King Charles III at Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua and Barbuda, where he learned about efforts to protect the islands' natural and built heritage, as Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined efforts to build towards a formal slavery apology.Women at the Commonwealth Women's Forum, where survivors of abuse and political leaders from across the Commonwealth also gathered.
King Charles is set to address the slave trade with "sincere sorrow" when he opens the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua, as Burnham launches what No 10 describes as a "structured dialogue" on a formal apology — one likely to materialise during the UK's G20 presidency next year. The £40m package, drawn from existing budgets, will fund green energy and infrastructure across the Caribbean over three years.
Burnham has ruled out direct reparations, but a formal apology is reportedly expected within months.
Barbados PM Mia Mottley, a long-standing advocate for the UK to pay 'trillions' in compensation, held talks with Burnham on Monday night.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has warned against issuing any apology at all, while critics accuse Burnham of putting the King under political pressure.
