Burnham meets Albanese and Mottley ahead of CHOGM in Antigua, with AUKUS, Ukraine, climate and G20 debt reform on the agenda

Prime Minister Andy Burnham held talks with Australia’s Anthony Albanese and Barbados’s Mia Mottley on 2 November, on the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua, according to readouts published by 10 Downing Street on 3 November. The two meetings gave an early view of the themes London is bringing to the summit: defence ties with Australia, support for Ukraine, climate and a new push on international debt.

Australia: AUKUS, Ukraine and the Middle East

In the readout of the meeting with Albanese, Downing Street said the two leaders discussed an “increasingly uncertain global landscape” and agreed that partnerships between close allies such as the UK and Australia matter more than ever. On AUKUS, they agreed that the build programme was making strong progress and that the submarines would play a vital role in the defence and security of all three partner nations. Earlier AUKUS developments are covered in our reports on the first US submarine rotating through Australia and on the UK-led undersea sensor payloads.

The readout says Burnham reflected on the UK’s decision to sanction West Bank settlements, and that the two leaders agreed on the need to stand by the two-state solution. They also reflected on the effect of the Israel-Palestine conflict on community cohesion and agreed there was no place for antisemitism in either country. The leaders underlined what the readout calls their unwavering support for Ukraine.

On migration, the Prime Minister briefed Albanese on the new rules for people seeking to settle in the UK, and the two discussed how best to reduce illegal migration. They also stressed the importance of opportunities for young people at home and abroad.

Barbados: climate, debt and the slave trade

With Mottley, the readout says, Burnham set out his vision for the UK as focused on building strong friendships abroad to deal with major global challenges. Climate was the first example: Barbados is on the front line of rising sea levels, extreme temperatures and significant environmental change, and the leaders agreed that Commonwealth partners should keep drawing attention to the impact of climate change. They paid tribute to Mottley’s leadership on the issue.

The Prime Minister then described how the UK wants to reset international financial frameworks for debt during its hosting of the G20 next year. The leaders also discussed next steps after Burnham’s announcement that the UK is offering a structured dialogue for communities affected by the transatlantic slave trade, and he thanked Mottley for her continued support.

What to watch

Downing Street said both pairs of leaders look forward to continuing their discussions during the summit in Antigua. The readouts are short and give no figures or signed agreements, so the substance of the UK’s positions will become clearer when the summit itself gets under way. For the Prime Minister’s most recent contact with Washington, see our report on the call between Burnham and Trump.