Commonwealth leaders to defy Starmer over slavery reparations

Your support helps us to tell the story This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story. The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for. Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference. Close Read moreClose Commonwealth leaders are reportedly preparing to defy the UK and agree plans to examine reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. It comes despite Downing Street’s insistence that the issue of reparations is not on the agenda for this week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (Chogm), which begins in Samoa on Friday. But diplomatic sources said officials are already negotiating an agreement to conduct further research and begin a “meaningful conversation”, which could leave the UK owing billions of pounds in reparations. The text of the draft...