Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

RED (12/100) Tom Tugendhat

Like you, Mr Speaker, I expected the Foreign Secretary. The Minister has been a friend these many years, and nobody is happier to see him than me, but it does somewhat surprise me—no doubt it surprises him, too—that the head of our delegation at the Heads of Government meeting has decided that it is not worth his effort to come and brief this House. Clearly he has better things to do than answer to the British people, whom I thought he was sent to represent. Anyway, we shall move on, because the understudy’s understudy is in their place. This statement, much like the meeting, will not answer the questions that we need answered if we are to shape a future for us all. It has instead, sadly, been overshadowed. Let me set out why. First, our Government, by failing to be clear right at the beginning—before CHOGM began, in fact—about their position on reparations, allowed the discussion to be diverted from the future and towards the past. I will not rehearse the arguments; Members will already know my position on the tragedy of slavery, and the endurance of this abhorrent crime against humanity—in Mauritania, for instance, where it continued until…

Like you, Mr Speaker, I expected the Foreign Secretary. The Minister has been a friend these many years, and nobody is happier to see him than me, but it does somewhat surprise me—no doubt it surprises him, too—that the head of our delegation at the Heads of Government meeting has decided that it is not worth his effort to come and brief this House. Clearly he has better things to do than answer to the British people, whom I thought he was sent to represent. Anyway, we shall move on, because the understudy’s understudy is in their place. This statement, much like the meeting, will not answer the questions that we need answered if we are to shape a future for us all. It has instead, sadly, been overshadowed. Let me set out why. First, our Government, by failing to be clear right at the beginning—before CHOGM began, in fact—about their position on reparations, allowed the discussion to be diverted from the future and towards the past. I will not rehearse the arguments; Members will already know my position on the tragedy of slavery, and the endurance of this abhorrent crime against humanity—in Mauritania, for instance, where it continued until 1981, which is two years before the Minister was born, and in the Arabian peninsula, where slavery existed right up until the 1960s. Nor will I rehearse the slave raids from Algiers on to the Cornish coast or the courage of those sailors and soldiers who fought the evil slave trading kingdoms of Dahomey, which King Ghezo referred to as the glory of his people. Of course, Britain’s part in the slave empires was shameful; the past of the whole of humanity in slavery was shameful. The pride of Britain is that the Royal Navy, the West Africa Squadron and our people fought it when others were still defending it. Today, we can share the blame or we can look at the future. Instead of looking at the past, why are we not focused on the truth of modern slavery: the Uyghur detention facilities in Xinjiang; and the human trafficking enabled by Moscow that sees so many die in the Sahara and the Mediterranean? Let us not go over that; instead, let us focus on where we should be with the Commonwealth. Half of the Commonwealth is India. What lessons has the Minister—perhaps even the Foreign Secretary—drawn from the non-attendance of the Indian Prime Minister at this CHOGM and indeed past CHOGMs? What has the hon. Member learned about the importance of African nations in the Commonwealth membership? Countries like Nigeria demonstrate such vibrancy and such energy and could benefit from the capital of London. What has he learned from the green energy projects of Kenya about future opportunities in shared data networks and opportunities for growth? Indeed, given that the Prime Minister met the leaders of both Kenya and Nigeria, why have we heard nothing more about that? What is going on with an Africa strategy that would tie us together and give Britain an opportunity to develop the depth of relationship that is, sadly, being taken by China? Furthermore, where is the consistency in our dealings? What lessons have been learned about the Prime Minister’s swapping sides again and again on Chagos? First, he agreed with the Mauritian Prime Minister; then he agreed with the US President; and now, in echoes of what I can only describe as the Blairite 2000s, there is a consultation and a pledge waiting for resolution at the end of the year. Perhaps the Prime Minister will honour us by outlining what he has made a promise to do this time; perhaps he will have the grace to tell Parliament instead of hiding again. Given that the importance of the Caribbean to Britain is one subject on which I think we can all agree, what conversations has the hon. Member had on reversing the Chinese infiltration of those islands in the Americas so that we see islanders treated with the dignity they deserve—not, sadly, like the islanders Joshua Wong and Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong? It is always a pleasure to see the hon. Member for Bridgend. I hope that he enjoyed his trip in the sun. Sadly, he has returned without even a tan and with little else to show for his troubles. At least we have all learned one thing: while our Government waffle and waver, the King commands respect for his clarity and leadership. Thank God, at least, for that.

GREEN (88/100) Marsha De Cordova

I thank my hon. Friend for his statement. Alongside CHOGM, the first ever global summit on eye health was held, bringing together world leaders to address the global challenge of avoidable sight loss. With more than 2 billion people worldwide living with sight loss, the challenge is clear: we must ensure that everyone has access to good-quality eye healthcare. Already, 41 countries have made this commitment, with pledges exceeding $1 billion. Now we need the UK, as a world leader in eye healthcare, also to make this commitment. Will my hon. Friend the Minister agree to meet me to discuss this?

RED (22/100) Monica Harding

It remains crucial that the Government engage wholeheartedly with our friends and partners in the Commonwealth, especially now, in an insecure world, when other partnerships may be fraught. While I am pleased to see CHOGM emphasising the challenge of food insecurity, protecting our oceans and tackling climate change, it added up to warm words but sharp cuts in UK aid to Commonwealth nations. The aid budget to the Commonwealth has been slashed from £546 million in 2024-25 to £131 million in 2028-29, with over half of that going to Nigeria alone. All this is happening while humanitarian crises are continually underfunded and El Niño is already causing havoc around the world and is likely to force many millions more people into acute food insecurity over the next year. The King attended the launch of the Commonwealth nature initiative, but the UK Government failed to make a contribution. These cuts to official development assistance are hurting our partnerships in the Commonwealth, our international understanding and our influence. The Prime Minister has talked about Labour values driving his agenda and not making the mistake of wearing too many Tory clothes. Does the Minister agree that presiding over the deepest aid cuts this…

AMBER (50/100) Alan Gemmell

I thank the Minister for his statement. He may not know that I am a former chief executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, which is responsible for the business forum. I hear that that was a great success this year, and I want to put on record my congratulations to Sam Cohen, its chief exec, and her team. If the Minister is keen to do a teach-in for the shadow Foreign Secretary on his learnings from India and Nigeria and our relationships with the Commonwealth, I would be very happy to join. Does the Minister agree that trade should be at the heart of our Commonwealth relationships, and that with such a trusted network of 56 countries with shared values, we should be supercharging trade around the Commonwealth and improving the lives and jobs of the nearly 3 billion people who are Commonwealth citizens?

AMBER (26/100) Sir Edward Leigh

Shamefully, some 12.5 million slaves were sent across the Atlantic during the slave trade, and it is reckoned that 90% of them were captured and traded in horrific circumstances by African kings. Does the Minister agree that it would be ridiculous to hold the descendants of those African kings responsible for the sins of their fathers? Should we not learn from the King, our chief diplomat, by expressing sorrow from the depth of our soul, but not getting involved in apologies, let alone reparations?

AMBER (27/100) Janet Daby

I wholeheartedly thank my hon. Friend the Minister for his statement. If he casts his mind back, he will remember the many conversations we had about Hurricane Melissa. I thank the Minister for the strengthening of partnerships among the 56 Commonwealth countries, but what steps are the Government taking to bolster the climate resilience of Commonwealth partners, particularly those on the frontline of climate change?

RED (12/100) Richard Tice

What was noticeable about the Minister’s statement was that there was no reference to discussions that the Prime Minister had with the Prime Ministers of Nigeria or Mauritius. Did he raise the issue of the more than 4,000 Christians killed in Nigeria this year? Did he raise the fact that my constituents, and the vast majority of the millions of people in this country, do not want to surrender the Chagos islands?

AMBER (27/100) Chris Vince

I thank the Minister for his statement. Like everyone across the House, I find it deplorable that any person can think they have the right to own another person and treat them like property, whether that is a historical or current injustice. What conversations has the Minister had with our Commonwealth allies about defence and security, which my Harlow constituents take very seriously? As I visited the BBC World Service recently, may I emphasise its importance to our soft power and influence?

AMBER (48/100) Sir Andrew Mitchell

I mean no disrespect to the Minister when I say that this statement should have been made by the Prime Minister. The Government have rightly championed the value of Commonwealth partnerships, but is the Minister aware that the Global Health Partnerships scheme set up by the coalition Government at a time of economic austerity—that has been enormously valuable to Commonwealth countries, as well as enhancing Britain’s national interest and our health services—now faces being defunded thanks to the savage cuts to the international development budget made by the last Government? Will he personally look at whether this great scheme can be saved?

RED (18/100) Brendan O'Hara

We are told that one of the core areas of discussion at last week’s meeting was climate resilience. Given that building climate resilience is now absolutely critical, particularly for small countries in the global south, could the Minister tell the House how he explained to them his Government’s decision to cut overseas aid by more than £1 billion last year? Could he share with the House what impact he was told that cut has had on many of our Commonwealth partners, many of which are having to live with and mitigate the worst effects of climate change, despite having contributed virtually nothing to creating the problem in the first place?

AMBER (27/100) Sir Oliver Dowden

Nobody disputes the evil of slavery, but I would caution the Government that they are being somewhat naive about going down the path towards an apology, because I fear that it will be seized on, as other pronouncements have been, by left-wing dominated international institutions and courts for which the ideology of decolonisation and the hostility to Israel is axiomatic. Before we know it, we will find ourselves going down a path whereby a Minister will stand at the Dispatch Box in a few years’ time and say, “I’m terribly sorry—we have no choice but to offer reparations.” We will find ourselves in exactly the same absurd position that the Church of England finds itself in; it is paying £100 million in reparations when its buildings are falling down. Can I urge the Minister not to go down this path? It is a very risky path indeed, as I know from Chagos and other negotiations.

RED (8/100) Sir Julian Lewis

Does the Minister think that an apology for the slave trade issued by a Government who have absolutely no responsibility for it having happened, on behalf of a country in which there is no one alive who has any responsibility for what happened 300 and more years ago, will make the people who are seeking reparations more likely or less likely to intensify their demands?

GREEN (86/100) Sir Julian Lewis

It is not our past.

AMBER (27/100) Luke Taylor

Overseas aid is critical to improving our security not just at home but around the world. It improves resilience, strengthens institutions and enables our Commonwealth brothers and sisters to thrive. The Minister references defence and national security spending decisions. I am sure he recognises how ODA investment makes our interests at home and overseas more secure. I am particularly concerned to see the cuts to funding for countries with existing programmes from £546 million to £131 million. Can the Minister explain in more detail how those cuts have been assessed and what impact they may have on programmes that are already in progress and on our security at home and overseas?

RED (10/100) Esther McVey

Today the Prime Minister has not come to the House to answer questions on his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Not answering questions is becoming a pattern. The Prime Minister broke with convention by not allowing journalists with him on the trip to ask questions on this matter. Is it because he is running scared and only likes to answer soft-soap questions on social media, or is it because he is partway through changing his mind on giving reparations to these countries, just like he changed his mind on Brexit and let down the country and his Makerfield constituents?

RED (15/100) Robin Swann

First, I thank the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the opportunity to attend CHOGM as a Member of this House, along with the hon. Members for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) and for South East Cornwall (Anna Gelderd). I know the Minister is here in place of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, but I want to congratulate him on how he handled himself in the panels that he spoke on, which were about some very challenging topics for this Government. As we all agree on the value of the Commonwealth, what steps will the Government take to enhance the resilience of supply chains across the Commonwealth, to ensure that every part can benefit equally?

AMBER (68/100) David Mundell

The Minister played a significant role in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch and internationally prior to his appointment. Were there any discussions at CHOGM about the role that Parliaments and parliamentarians across the Commonwealth can play in the future shape of the Commonwealth?

RED (18/100) Robert Jenrick 50% point-scoring

The only thing that is exceptional about Britain’s record on slavery is that we were the first country in the world to abolish it. We are the country of William Wilberforce. We are the country of the West Africa Squadron. Why are we entertaining this performative far-left nonsense? Why does the Prime Minister not just focus on what the British people actually want, which is to cut the cost of living and do something that helps our own constituents? [ Interruption. ] Government Members can groan as much as they want, but I wager this: what I am saying is more in tune with the people of this country than anything that we have heard from them today.

RED (10/100) Ben Obese-Jecty

I draw the Minister’s attention to the comments that he made about the conversations with world leaders at CHOGM and not being able to engage. Half of the Government’s written statement on CHOGM was about conversations with Navin Ramgoolam around Mauritius and the Chagos deal. The Government are prepared to discuss a shared handover plan before Christmas with regard to Chagos. Last year, they also cited the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as the main and most proximate threat to our ownership of the Chagos islands. Yet today and tomorrow, the Attorney General and six King’s counsel are in Hamburg at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea discussing British sovereignty claims. Why are the Government prepared to defend against ITLOS with regard to the Falkland Islands, but are prepared to give the Chagos islands away due to the potential threat of ITLOS?

NOT A QUESTION Jeremy Corbyn

I thank the Minister for his statement, and I am pleased that he put on record his thanks to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for hosting the conference. The issue of slavery obviously came up. Many in this House do not want to discuss it, but the reality is that the slave trade and slavery made a lot of wealthy people in this country even wealthier, the compensation paid was massive, and many big British companies still benefit from the profits of it. That leads to the issue of the systemic debt that many former colonies have, the imbalance of trade, the inequality and the poverty. The issue of reparations will not go away just because the Minister wishes it to go away; it is live, strong and will be debated for as long as it takes to get some kind of global justice.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Chris Elmore's statement

Questions