Commonwealth heads of government are preparing to defy the United Kingdom and agree plans to examine reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade.

Downing Street insists the issue is not on the agenda for the summit of 56 Commonwealth countries, which begins in the Pacific island nation of Samoa on Friday.

But diplomatic sources said officials were negotiating an agreement to conduct further research and begin a “meaningful conversation” about an issue which could potentially leave the UK owing billions of pounds in reparations.

The current text of the draft summit communique – made known to the BBC  that

the heads of government would play an active role in bringing about such inclusive conversations addressing these harms and that they agreed to prioritise and facilitate further and additional research on the transatlantic trade in enslaved africa.