UK Slashes Commonwealth Aid and Blocks Slavery Reparations
The UK government is reducing Commonwealth overseas aid to £131 million by 2028 and blocking slavery reparations talks at a summit in Antigua.
The Government of the United Kingdom is significantly reducing overseas aid to Commonwealth nations, cutting funding from £546 million in 2024-25 to £131 million by 2028-29. These reductions impact both middle-income and impoverished nations, with Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Tanzania each seeing funding drop to £5 million by 2028-29. Nigeria will remain a primary recipient, though its aid will decrease from £137 million this year to £68 million by 2028-29. Additionally, the government has barred at least 26 Commonwealth countries from Darwin Initiative funds for nature protection.
These financial cuts coincide with the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua. The government of Prime Minister Andy Burnham reportedly worked to exclude discussions on reparations for slavery from the summit agenda. This effort occurred despite King Charles acknowledging the injustices of slavery during the proceedings.
