'End protectionism!' Starmer eyes up Commonwealth's £15tn market to boost UK economy

By tapping into the vast potential of Commonwealth trade, Starmer hopes to inject fresh vigour into Britain's economic landscape.

The Prime Minister's arrival in Samoa marks a significant moment for UK-Commonwealth relations, as he seeks to position Britain at the forefront of this expansive market.

Starmer also made it clear that he rejects a protectionist approach to trade within the Commonwealth.

The Prime Minister said: "We have an opportunity to turn around the lives of people in the UK. We can't do that with a protectionist approach."

Starmer's shift to the Commonwealth also comes as Caribbean nations put pressure on the Prime Minister to back reparations for the UK's role in the transatlantic slave trade.

The Prime Minister went into his visit to Samoa taking a firm stance on the contentious issue of slave trade reparations.

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He initially dismissed talk of Britain paying such reparations, emphasising a forward-looking approach.

However, a Whitehall source reportedly suggested that Starmer could sign up to the Commonwealth summit's communique that "references" slavery reparations.

Despite Starmer's hardline stance ahead of his visit to Samoa, the insider insisted that doing so would "not necessarily mean there is a change of policy".

The potential move would come after a number of Caribbean leaders and prominent backbench Labour MPs urged Starmer to commit to reparations.

Some Commonwealth countries have called for the issue of "reparatory justice" to be recognised by an accord signed by the 55 states in an attempt to forge a "common future based on equity".

Chair of the Guyana Reparations Committee Eric Phillips also said: “I just don’t understand the relevance of the Commonwealth if PM Starmer takes this cruel approach.”

Labour MPs have also put pressure on the Prime Minister, with former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell arguing that Starmer "fails to understand that addressing the past is not a distraction but is essential to dealing with the future".

Clapham & Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy added: "We're never going to be able to do that, or the nations that are most impacted are never going to be able to do that unless they are given a fighting chance."