British officials reportedly insisted that discussions of reparations for slavery should not be on the agenda of the Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Antigua and Barbuda – and even warned that Andy Burnham would not attend the meeting if the subject was formally included, according to a leading Caribbean political figure.

Ralph Gonsalves, a former prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines and a senior figure in the reparatory justice movement Repair Campaign, welcomed Britain’s decision to enter structured dialogue on reparations, but said the UK had come “kicking and screaming” to the conversation.

Currently, slavery reparations is not on the official agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (Chogm) summit, which begins on Sunday.

Trade, climate resilience and finance, sustainable debt, democracy and investment in opportunities for young people are among the stated priorities for the 56-nation bloc spanning Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas, the Pacific and Europe.

“My…