ANDY BURNHAM APPROVES £40M CARIBBEAN AID AMID REPARATIONS CALLS

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved £40 million in aid funding for the Caribbean, Downing Street said. The money will be paid over three years to fund infrastructure investment, including green energy schemes. The funding comes amid calls for Mr Burnham to address Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade. He is also expected to discuss with regional leaders a formal apology for the UK's involvement in selling enslaved people for profit. Mr Burnham said he was "open" to an apology but ruled out direct financial reparations.

The funding was announced ahead of the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, where talks on slavery are expected to dominate. Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister, Gaston Browne, has joined calls for a UK apology, saying the consequences of slavery "have not disappeared with the passage of time". At a 2024 summit, Downing Street said financial compensation was not on the agenda, before all 56 Commonwealth nations agreed to talks on reparatory justice. Mr Burnham described the UK's position as a "new approach" and will outline a "debt reset" to help poorest Commonwealth countries with rising repayment costs.

Downing Street said Britain will lead two new task forces as part of the plans, one on critical mineral supply chains and the other on trade and investment. Officials said both will be set up by the end of the year and report back at the next leaders' summit. Mr Burnham has pledged that Britain will play a leading role in what he called a "new era" for the Commonwealth. He is expected to argue that support for member states facing higher global borrowing costs should involve non-G7 donors and the private sector.