Let me return to the madness of the government wanting to give these islands away to Mauritius and then to pay a large annual sum to rent back the naval base at Diego Garcia. Talks have resumed between the U.K. and the new Mauritius government over how much money we need to pay
The government should tell the new Mauritius Administration that they are not now proceeding. The protests of Chagos islanders living in the U.K. and elsewhere against Gifting to Mauritius has swayed with them. The deteriorating U.K. budget position thanks to the collapse of growth in the U.K. also means we cannot afford this policy.
Mauritius is more than 1000 miles  from Chagos. Mauritius never owned them. Mauritius is a friend of China. Mauritius could put people and activities on the other islands that impeded use of the naval base.
The advisory international law opinion made little sense. The only people who have a real case against the U.K. are the islanders who were moved away when the base was expanded. Many of them are now U.K. or Seychelles citizens . They are not proposing Mauritius ownership.
President Trump will doubtless be worried by the transfer of the freehold of  a crucial US base from the U.K. to Mauritius. Sir Kier says he wants to get on well with President Trump. Why not remove this disagreement from the list. The Chancellor could also celebrate at another large bill no longer falling due.
November 26, 2024
First Chago
Second Falklands
Third Gibraltar
Then anything else that could weaken or destabilise Britain
There is no end to this madness, giving money to farmers abroad whilst robbing UK farmers
Billions to mitigate alleged climate change abroad whilst freezing UK pensioners.
There’s a definite pattern emerging.
November 26, 2024
Starmer is polishing his anti colonial / commonwealth credentials. In doing so he jeopodises our relationship with the USA, promotes the expansion of chinese influence, and denies the Chagosians, already sinned against, a return to their ancestral home. Just to add jus to the hypocrocy he compels the UK tax payer to pay for it. This charlaton has no place in UK politics, he endangers us by his very presence.
November 26, 2024
Good morning.
Why not just give the islands to the USA ? At least they want them.
November 26, 2024
Indeed Mauritius likely to effectively sell them to China what would the “lease” agreement be worth then? As we saw with Patton’s Hong Kong deal. But clearly the F/O were planning this even under the Tories with the dire & not so Cleverly. It must surely be reversed.
November 26, 2024
Matthew Lynn today.
“The Trump stock market surge is Kamala Harris’ final humiliation
The Left is finding out that appointments like Scott Bessent, on top of the anticipation of tax cuts, can revive animal spirits.
The Left, including its recent standard bearer Kamala Harris, is once again being reminded that economic growth depends on confidence among businesses, and appetite for risk among entrepreneurs, far more than it does on the government – and by recognising that, Trump has already triggered a revival that will carry well into the new year.”
Alas in the UK the first female Chancellor has delivered an absurdly anti-growth, anti-confidence budget with the lunacy of zealot net zero lunacy on top. 4+ more years of this all thanks to Sunak, Boris, May, Cameron…
November 26, 2024
Agreed. I hope thi ‘government’ are listening but I fear that they are tin-eared and will do considerable damage to this country woith this measure as with everything else they seem to touch
November 26, 2024
Keir-Ching! and Lammy just want to virtue-signal to the world. History, money, security …. nothing matters to them except posturing to various Globalist Acronym Organisations and polishing their anti-colonialism, pro International Socialism credentials.
The protests of the Chagossians would be a bit embarrassing to a “normal” PM but we haven’t got a “normal” one, which his behaviour makes perfectly clear.
I hope Trump makes his/the USA’s position very, very clear to our disgraceful PM.
November 26, 2024
Totally agree.
But do not expect this Government to change this decision that seriously affects our future security.
I find the decisions of the ‘International Courts’ often show a bias rather than adjudicate on the facts. Thus bringing themselves into disrepute.
November 26, 2024
Sir John, far from 2TK Starmer wanting to forge closer better relations with the new incoming president Trump, he seems to be determined to continue on with Chagos and quickly, He seems to be in a hurry so the give away is advanced beyond the point of cancellation, before Trump actually takes office and can veto the nonsense via sanctions.
November 26, 2024
This does indeed seem to be an odd arrangement but let us not forget, like so much that is wrong with this country, it began under the Conservatives. Why even discuss it?
This zealous, doctrinal Labour administration is in place because the Conservative abandoned Conservatism. Sometimes things must get worse to get better. This is our anti socialism medicine.
Reply FCO officials put it to Conservative Ministers. David Cameron rightly turned it down
November 26, 2024
The proposed Chagos island decision is symptomatic of the utter incompetence of this completely useless Labour government.