Louise Haigh to face Alex Burghart at deputy prime minister’s questions

Louise Haigh is due to face Conservative MP Alex Burghart at deputy prime minister’s questions, while Andy Burnham is attending the Commonwealth summit in Antigua. The day’s Westminster attention is also being drawn to the US midterm elections, though their implications for British politics remain uncertain.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband defended Burnham’s proposal for structured talks with Commonwealth countries on a possible UK apology for slavery, criticising Tony Blair’s 2006 statement as a “sorry not sorry” apology. Miliband said a formal apology could broadly be possible by the G20 summit in Manchester next November, while ruling out reparations and saying the approach would not cost UK taxpayers more.