UK resisted putting slavery reparations on Commonwealth summit agenda, Caribbean figure says

British officials initially insisted that slavery reparations should not be on the agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Antigua and Barbuda, and even warned that Prime Minister Andy Burnham would stay away if the topic were formally included. That is the claim of Ralph Gonsalves, a former prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines and a senior figure in the Repair Campaign, a reparatory justice movement. The summit, which brings together 56 Commonwealth nations from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas, the Pacific and Europe, begins on Sunday.

What Gonsalves says

According to him, Canadian officials took a similar stance. He also alleges that a false claim was spread that India did not want the subject discussed, although India backed a UN General Assembly resolution on 25 March 2026. Gonsalves welcomed Britain's decision to enter structured dialogue but said the government had come "kicking and screaming". He expects the format and details of the dialogue to be discussed in the leaders' private retreat rather than in the formal sessions. The British government did not immediately comment.

Britain's shift

On Friday, Burnham wrote in a Guardian op-ed that he agreed to structured dialogue and would consider an apology, going further than his predecessors. The official agenda lists trade, climate resilience and finance, sustainable debt, democracy and opportunities for young people.

Guyana's president, Irfaan Ali, called for a Commonwealth subcommittee to work out the dialogue's details over six to 12 months, and wants talks to focus on the developmental consequences of slavery in areas such as health, education and infrastructure. Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley thanked Burnham but said views on reparations differ. Bahamas prime minister Philip Davis said the talks concern the enduring consequences of slavery and justice.

The summit opens on the 45th anniversary of Antigua and Barbuda's independence from Britain. King Charles is indicated not to be offering a full apology. He and Burnham are expected to face protests on their way to events. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called an apology a "navel-gazing distraction".