The Foreign Office establishment tried to persuade Conservative Ministers to give the Chagos islands to Mauritius. David Cameron would not give permission, after James Cleverly had allowed work to be done. Kier Starmer and David Lammy fell for the specious arguments about international law and are desperate to give the islands away.
The International Court gave an advisory opinion that the UK should cede control to Mauritius. Some government advisers have we are told be warning they could take a case and find against the UK in a binding judgement if we do nothing. Last night on GB News I pointed out that the UK expressly ruled out being under the Court’s jurisdiction for any matter involving another Commonwealth country . The advisory opinion stemmed from a UN resolution of the General Assembly. Such resolutions are not binding. The UK as a member of the Security Council has a veto on Security Council resolutions which would be binding.
Giving away Chagos would be a double disaster. President Trump wants the UK to remain the freeholder of its crucial Diego Garcia base, not pass it to pro China anti nuclear Mauritius. UK taxpayers cannot afford to meet the 100 years of payments Mauritius demands to lease back the base. We hear they want up front early payments of some future annual payments just as the Chancellor needs cuts in spending to reassure markets.
Politics is about choices and priorities. Taxing farmers and cutting benefits for pensioners in order to pay to rent back something we legally own is a very strange and unpopular choice.The Chancellor should say No to any such spending increase in the middle of a spending crisis.
January 14, 2025
Good morning.
I have posted my solution to the problem before so apologies for doing so again.
Give it to the USA.
Problem solved and just about everyone is happy.
January 14, 2025
To pay Mauritius vast sums for 100 years, so as to allow another foreign country to use the place as a military base rent-free, would indeed be the height of absurdity. You might have noted, SJR, that the International Court [of Justice] is a UN body. This crisis arose thanks to Foreign Office officials who wish us to follow UN agendas, rather than retaining our national sovereignty.
January 14, 2025
Agreed 100%. You clearly expose the twisted, flawed thinking that drives this policy. Twisted, flawed thinking infects too much policy of this Labour government and of previous Conservative governments too. That is why neither is fit for office.
January 14, 2025
“……politics is about choices and priorities. Taxing farmers and cutting benefits for pensioners in order to pay to rent back something we legally own is a very strange and unpopular choice.”
Did we elect a bunch of vindictive clowns to the current government circus, or are they merely clowns of the hopeless and hapless variety?