UK PM to give Caribbean £40m in aid amid calls for reparations over role in the slave trade

Around £40m in Caribbean aid funding has been approved by United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Andy Burnham amid calls for him to pay reparations for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. The announcement came at the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting taking place in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. According to UK media, the three-year disbursement will be used to speed up infrastructure investment in the region, including green energy. The prime minister is also expected to speak to heads of government about potentially offering a formal apology for the UK’s role in selling enslaved people for profit. Burnham revealed plans for what he described as a debt reset, which in theory should help the poorest Commonwealth countries better handle debt repayments, alongside promises that the UK be foremost in a “new era” for the group of nations.