ST JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will set out his vision for a debt reset and stronger trade with Commonwealth countries at a summit on Tuesday that is likely to hear calls for slavery reparations, Reuters reported on Monday.
Source: Reuters
Burnham will join King Charles and leaders from the Commonwealth's 56 member states in Antigua and Barbuda, where he will argue that the organisation can play a bigger role in tackling global challenges including climate change, economic growth and security. The Commonwealth comprises mostly former British colonies and encompasses some 2.7 billion people, Reuters said.
Source: Reuters
Burnham's office said around half of developing countries struggling with debt are in the Commonwealth, with rising global interest rates exacerbating the pressure they face. Work to stop those countries from being trapped in debt spirals must include donors outside the G7 club of rich economies, as well as the private sector, Burnham will say on Tuesday, Reuters reported. PA Media, reporting Downing Street's briefing, added that the Prime Minister wants to look at ways of helping poorer countries repay debt over a longer period and with better interest rates.
Source: PA Media
He will also announce taskforces to increase investment in Commonwealth countries' critical mineral industries and reduce barriers to trade, along with £40 million ($54 million) of investments into critical infrastructure in the Caribbean over the next three years, Reuters said. PA reported that Britain would lead the two taskforces — one focused on critical mineral assets and supply-chain vulnerabilities, the other on boosting trade and investment — that both will be set up by the end of the year, and that they will report back at the next leaders' summit.
Source: Reuters
Awaaz Punjab reported the opening of this summit, CHOGM 2026, on November 1, when leaders of the 56 nations began meeting in St John's on climate, oceans, trade and AI — and reported on October 31 that Burnham had said he was open to a formal slavery apology while ruling out reparations. Read the earlier report: Commonwealth leaders open CHOGM 2026 in Antigua
The debt plan sits alongside that apology question. Burnham said at the weekend he was open to calls for a formal apology for Britain's historical role in slavery, although not to the payment of reparations, and his spokesman said on Monday that talks would begin in Antigua on what shape any apology could take: 'We think it's right that a formal apology is discussed properly with the countries and communities most affected, rather than simply deciding unilaterally what form it should take,' the spokesman said, according to Reuters. PA reported that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged Burnham against issuing a slavery apology, saying it would give countries a reason to ask Britain for reparations.
Source: Reuters
The king will open the summit on Tuesday and, while he is expected to mention slavery, he will also focus on bringing people together to tackle the challenges of today, Reuters said. That is unlikely to appease some member countries, including CARICOM, the Caribbean Community — a group of 23 member and associate member states including the Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica — which has been pushing for reparations to be on the meeting's agenda. From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European traders, with Britain transporting an estimated 3.2 million people across the Atlantic, according to the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database cited by Reuters.
Source: Reuters
Arriving in Antigua on Monday, Burnham said Britain was bringing a new approach: 'In today's more divided, unpredictable world, the Commonwealth has the potential to be a powerful force for good, bringing together a third of the global population, and I believe it is key that the UK plays its full role in that,' PA quoted him as saying. 'From trade to defence and security, together Commonwealth members can drive greater growth and opportunity for all of its citizens.'
Source: PA Media