Chagos. This government of international lawyers is not good at law and likes to use it to punish us

The government proved to be so bad at international law when it came to the Chagos give away. They seemed unaware that the ICJ could not make a binding judgement to make us give the islands to Mauritius  given the Treaty limitations we imposed on their power when we joined. They seemed unaware of the binding Treaty with the US to set up the joint Diego Garcia base which prevents us from giving the islands away.

Worse still, they got into a complete pickle over human rights and colonial matters. Normally keen to hound the UK for past alleged misdemeanours as a colonial power, they have ridden roughshod over the rights of the people  who were living in our colony of the British Indian Ocean Territory before a Labour government in 1966 forced them out. They treated them badly then, had to grant UK citizenship to many and now are treating them atrociously despite their UK citizenship.

6 Chagossians decided they wanted to go back to live in the islands they were forced out of. Choosing one many miles away from the sensitive base at Diego Garcia, they have been told to leave by an angry and aggressive UK government. The government lost a court case over the issue of whether they could return to their homelands but still harries them and the people and boats that wish to keep them supplied whilst they establish new homes.

A government which is unable or unwilling to interdict any illegal migrant  boat or shadow fleet tanker in UK home  waters has boarded a small supply boat seeking to help the Chagossians, and has sought to prevent them receiving some of the supplies they need for their settlement. Why are they so hostile and so unhelpful? Why do they  not accept the judgement that people thrown out of their homeland by a colonial power have rights to resettle when the islands apart from the military base are empty and have been allowed to return to nature? Why are they blocking the delivery of a fast small boat to them so the people there could get to medical facilities in a hurry if needed? The NHS pays big bills to provide boats for our small home islands where people might need to be rushed to a hospital. The government has a duty of care towards the Chagossians which it is not fulfilling.

16 Comments

  1. Kathy
    April 16, 2026

    Put quite simply, as it has been demonstrated every single day since the electoral sysem we have in this country somehow allowed them into government, the current bunch of clueless and spineless incompetents supposedly in charge of running the country do not believe in duty of care. In fact, they don’t even understand what it means.

    Reply
    1. Ian B
      April 16, 2026

      650 MP’s wanting to sit on their hands, keep taking the money, keep fighting the country and its people while blaming other for their own incompetence.

      Although as wee are reminded by the Great Global Statesman, that introduced two tier law and society there is a ‘Plan’. I don’t think anyone would or could be as incompetent as this UK Parliament, so the conclusion is that destruction is the ‘Plan’ and its working

      Reply
  2. Mark B
    April 16, 2026

    Good morning.

    The government proved to be so bad at international law when it came to the Chagos give away.

    No. They thought that they could get away with it by making false claims believing that they would go uncontested.

    In short. They gambled and lost.

    Fun fact, or maybe not – Because the government of Mauritius believed that the deals was as good as done, budget and borrowed billions in expectation of monies coming from the UK Government. Consequently they are in a bit of a pickle financially.

    So it is not just the UK economy Labour has messed up 🙂

    Reply
  3. Wanderer
    April 16, 2026

    They do like to punish us, and the Chagossians. Anyone who disapproves of government policies or the actions of the bureaucratic state. This is not the form of government most people want.

    Reply
  4. Steve Bullion
    April 16, 2026

    The government has a duty of care towards the Chagossians which it is not fulfilling.

    AGREED.

    HMG should be forced to explain itself, especially for it’s vile treatment of a people already wronged to the point of abuse.
    The soundbites we get from Starmer are pitiful excuses for reasoning. His own logic has failed him, showing him up as a supporter of Human rights only when it follows the thought patterns of an international lawyer with inbuilt degrees of justice – His inconsistency will be the end of him.

    Reply
  5. Peter Wood
    April 16, 2026

    Good Morning,
    So what is their motivation? Why waste so much government time and money on a trivial issue, in the sense of risk to UK security from foreign courts? Follow the money!

    Reply
  6. J+M
    April 16, 2026

    Meanwhile, arrive in the UK illegally in a dinghy and you will be provided with food, shelter, medical are and benefits. Mad!

    Reply
  7. Donna
    April 16, 2026

    Why? Because the Chagossian bridgehead and Donald Trump have probably scuppered the Foreign Office/Two-Tier treacherous plans to hand the islands to Mauritius (and embolden China).

    It has nothing whatsoever to do with International Law; they would have known that the ICJ’s ruling did not apply to disagreements between Commonwealth countries. Of course, Mauritius could leave the Commonwealth and then pursue its claim, but that was not the desired outcome.

    In my opinion it has everything to do with the FO trying to maintain the UK’s position in the world as they see it, balancing “our interests” (or hedging our bets if you prefer) between the USA, EU and China.

    The Government can’t attack Trump, so they are taking out their fury on the Chagossians. It’s the classic reaction of bullies …. and pure spite.

    Reply
  8. MPC
    April 16, 2026

    Presumably though there was originally an agreement with the US that the islands had to be kept entirely free of any occupation in order to safeguard the security of Diego Garcia?

    Reply
  9. Lynn Atkinson
    April 16, 2026

    The mistake the Chargossians made was accepting British citizenship.

    The British Government, like the Irish government, treats its own citizens with hostility even when they have been brutally attacked.

    See Southport where the PM committed a crime by accusing people who were telling the truth of lying and pressuring the Court System to punish them in unusual ways, one man died.

    In Epsom where dozens of riot police in full gear lined up to challenge distraught citizens after 4 ‘unidentified’ men gang raped a local girl, but the police are unwilling to confront black gangs terrorising Clapham down the road.

    In Ireland one of the peaceful protesting farmers who had his tractor impounded has committed suicide.

    Reply
  10. Old Albion
    April 16, 2026

    Odd isn’t it, Starmer the renowned human rights lawyer. Cares not a jot for the human rights of Chagossians. The Labour party which contains members constantly howling about Britains colonial past. Doesn’t seem to want to put right this particular colonial issue.
    I hope the Chagos sell-out is now at an end, but suspect Starmer thinks differently. Of course if Labour get wiped out in the forthcoming local elections. It may well bring about the end of Starmer…..

    Reply
  11. Ian B
    April 16, 2026

    A Government in fear of its People, no a Parliament in fear of its people.

    2 years of maliciously trashing the economy, it is not World events it is malicious intent coupled with inept political ideology.

    This has lead to a UK Parliament fighting the nation and its people. 2 years done and as they don’t do democracy another 3 years to go. What will be left?

    Reply
    1. Ian B
      April 16, 2026

      As was read elsewhere in recent days, Socialism is a decease for which there is no cure.

      Reply
  12. Ian B
    April 16, 2026

    From the ‘Media’
    “Farmers raise alarm over Labour’s plan to impose EU rules on Britain”

    The ‘Plan’ to impose. That says it all. 3 more years of this and what would be left?

    General Election now!

    Reply
  13. IanT
    April 16, 2026

    It is beyond satire that a bunch of “human rights” lawyers are driving this issue. It must be driving them crazy at night wrestling with the conflict of hating our colonial past whilst being busy during the day of recreating shades of the former empire they so detest. If this programming conflict continues robotic Starmer may blow a sub-routine!

    Reply
  14. Dave Andrews
    April 16, 2026

    Just so long as the lawyers can ponce around in court, dress up flamboyantly and address each other as “learned gentleman”, whilst drawing their ample fees, they don’t really care too much about anything else.

    Reply

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