Activists see meeting as opportunity to demand UK confront role in transatlantic enslavement

“The royal family enslaved us! Apologise now! Reparatory justice now!”

King Charles and the UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, will be greeted with messages as they travel through Antigua’s capital, St John’s, to attend meetings at the Commonwealth leaders’ summit next week. On billboards, placards and T-shirts, in letters and at a candlelight vigil for the thousands of Africans trafficked to Antigua and Barbuda during the transatlantic slave trade, the message from the Caribbean will be pervasive: slavery reparations is not an issue they “are going to be able to dodge”.

Activists see meeting as opportunity to demand UK confront role in transatlantic enslavement

“The royal family enslaved us! Apologise now! Reparatory justice now!”

King Charles and the UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, will be greeted with messages as they travel through Antigua’s capital, St John’s, to attend meetings at the Commonwealth leaders’ summit next week. On billboards, placards and T-shirts, in letters and at a candlelight vigil for the thousands of Africans trafficked to Antigua and Barbuda during the transatlantic slave trade, the message from the Caribbean will be pervasive: slavery reparations is not an issue they “are going to be able to dodge”.

The prime minister will speak with King Charles and others at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda

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As “summit season” begins, reaffirming ties with fellow leaders on the world stage could be a circuit breaker for Anthony Albanese amid domestic and economic woes, analysts have said.

But a likely interest rate hike, triggered by higher-than-expected inflation, while the prime minister is overseas will make his job – and the treasurer’s – even harder.

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Exclusive: UK PM to launch drive to restructure debt of poorest Commonwealth countries but rejects demands for reparations

• British people can’t be made to pay for the wrongs of slavery – but we must confront our complicated history | Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham has gone further than any previous prime minister towards offering a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, in a Guardian article ahead of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit where the subject is expected to dominate.

As he prepares to fly to the Caribbean next week, the prime minister said he was open to calls for an official apology on behalf of the state and offered formal talks to those affected, including individual countries and campaign groups at home and abroad.