My Lords, why does the Attorney-General wish to break the US-UK treaty on Diego Garcia, when the ICJ has no ability to order us around on Commonwealth and defence matters, and we need to keep that base?
I entirely agree with the noble Lord that we need to keep that base. That is why, coming into government, we built upon the 11 rounds of negotiations the previous Conservative Government had commenced, because we take the view that what is of most importance is securing that vital base for the defence and national security interests of this country. Like the last Government, we took the view that this was best secured through agreement. It is not simply out of adherence to what is an advisory, non-binding opinion of the International Court of Justice. That is simply one piece in a jigsaw, the larger picture of which is all about the national security interests of this country.
Reply Glad the Attorney confirmed the ICJ cannot make us give up Chagos. No answer to why he wants to break the US Treaty. Best to keep the freehold of the base as we are entitled to do.
July 8, 2026
Donald Trump stopped all military, intelligence and financial aid to Ukraine after his infamous attempt to bully and humiliate Vladimir Zelenskyy in the Oval Office
During Independence Day (July 4, 2026), Trump found time to speak with the Russian war criminal Putin to discuss mediating an end to the Ukraine conflict, shortly before the critical NATO summit in Ankara. During the 90-minute (“very good”) call, Putin provided a deceitful battlefield update, discussed regional issues like Iran, and engaged on potential diplomatic solutions with Trump. Trump has regular phone calls with Putin, but does not release transcripts of their conversations
According to OSINT reports, Trump and Putin’s phone call apparently included Trump offering to help mediate a resolution to the Ukraine war based on renewed attempts to force Ukraine to accept Russian territorial demands and proposed – yet again – sending his real estate envoys Witkopf and Kushner (both with strong records of failure in peace negotiations) on another jolly to Moscow. For the 9th time. While Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov noted Russia’s desire for a diplomatic settlement, the conversation included conflicting claims regarding non-existent Russian territorial advances, which Western intelligence agencies have refuted
Trump and his administration of sycophants have consistently taken the Russian side in the war and have – repeatedly – attempted to appease Putin by pressurising Ukraine into capitulating to Russian maximalist demands. The American free press is now calling out the Trump family for alleged corruption. They should also look into Trump’s relationship with the war criminal Putin, as his administration proposes more massive cuts to the American commitment to NATO
July 8, 2026
And the relevence of this to Chagos is ……
July 8, 2026
@Old Albion – not for the likes of you or me
July 8, 2026
Follow the money. Hermer is an anti British waste of space. If Burnham keeps him on it will highlight the fact that external influences are controlling the liebour party.
Today wind is contributing just 3% of our electricity with gas and nuclear providing 48%.
We have been importing 22% of our electricity, paying upwards of £450 per mwh.
DENZ repeats the mantra of it’s due to international gas prices.
I wasn’t aware that gas prices could treble during hot weather.
July 8, 2026
180 degree out on everything Burnham has made clear he wants to continue with the Chagos agenda!
July 8, 2026
Sakara – Any realistic peace plan would have to accommodate Putin to some degree, however unpleasant that is. This regardless of whomever tries to negotiates it.
July 8, 2026
Thanks also to the Mail on Sunday and Peter Hitchens for pushing the obviously unsafe convictions of poor Lucy Letby. I suppose she will eventually get releases after an appeal in 10 years+ perhaps. May those dire 6 appeal court judges who refused he any appeal (so far) hang their heads in shame. Deluded (and statistically innumerate) or just Evil one has to ask?
July 8, 2026
Or “educated” into stupidity as so many are nowadays.
July 8, 2026
SG: “They should also look into Trump’s relationship with the war criminal Putin, as his administration proposes more massive cuts to the American commitment to NATO.”
Far more serious to the security of the UK than possible cuts to the American commitment to NATO are Putin’s Net Zero Strategy, his push for mass immigration into the UK and for Starmer to become the next NATO Secretary General.
July 9, 2026
Wow, Putin is in minute control of the world, and even dictates British energy policy.
Why even attempt to oppose so powerful a man?
He makes Milliband, Starmer, Reeves etc look like children….if what you say is true 🤭
July 8, 2026
A typical non-answer from our noble labour lord.
It would have been useful if he’d laid out the intention of this government regarding Chagos – he had a great opportunity to help set things right.
Instead he leaves it all in a huge ball of confusion.
July 8, 2026
@Steve Bullion – separation of Diego Garcia even under this lie, leaves the rest of the Chagos Island Group open for other operators.
July 8, 2026
indeed wide open!
July 8, 2026
Lord Hermer’s unwillingness to answer is deafening. We now know HMG has no reason it will admit to for giving away Chagos. What remains is to discover the real reason. We can assume it is discreditable or it would not be a secret.
July 8, 2026
Absolutely… We need proper answers to why UK’s interest in the Chagos islands is in the Govements eyes more secure when given away to a third party country than the current arrangement?
July 8, 2026
Hermer will surely go in two weeks but the policy with remain under the potty Burnham it seems back at his No 10 up North near Coronation St. and the Rover’s Return I assume.
July 8, 2026
Giving up the Chagos Islands does not make any economic, practical, legal, security, and common-sense.
But when have any of those reasons stopped our politicians from doing something ?
July 8, 2026
Indeed HS2, Blair counterproductive wars on lies, net zero, coerced & dangerous covid lockdowns and vaccines (even for people with zero need of them even had they been safe and effective), VAT on School fees, the EU, the ERM tenants right bill, workers right bill, the war on non doms, the NHS structures… just a few
July 8, 2026
The vastly expensive open door immigration levels many vast benefit claimants and many violent criminals & crooks.
July 8, 2026
Let the original people return it belongs to them . Support them in the form of a sensible lease and do it with USA.
July 8, 2026
The original people are as british as the people of the Falklands, the IoM, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar
July 8, 2026
i think you are wasting your time John. this country is doomed, it is in a death spiral. So much is fundamentally wrong decisions from our rulers. Voting will not fix it. Advise the young ones to move abroad. We have engineered our own destruction.
July 8, 2026
It is symptomatic of what is wrong with our politicians is that they claim Nigel Farage is morally unfit to be an M.P., let alone Prime Minister. Then when he offers them the chance to remove him by a vote in his constituency, they decline to take it, presumably because they think they would lose. What happened to principle? If they sincerely believed in what they are saying, they would try to persuade his constituents of that even if they are likely to lose.
July 8, 2026
GB
Perhaps it would have been better to help the official investigation, wait for the official result, and then contest the seat again if need be.
It is worrying that all those making criticism only ever outline part of the requirements on disclosure, without mentioning what exclusions are allowed.
Having said that better to over declare than under, for the very reasons now headlined.
How Starmer can make accusations, given he was taking gifts as soon as he entered No10 is beyond me. !
July 9, 2026
Of course both Farage and his many opponents have been playing this for tactical advantage and Farage was was perfectly entitled to play this tactically just as his opponents have been doing. In more objective terms Farage was probably more correct in putting his case to his constituents quickly especially as the facts are reasonably clear. Before he became an M.P. or was even a declared candidate Farage was receiving many large gifts to himself personally which by current rules (which I don’t think are sensibly conceived) almost certainly should technically have been declared once he became an M.P. The question is, especially given the dodgy nature of so much of our politics, is this very important or are his opponents making a mountain out of a molehill to attempt to stop him becoming Prime Minister and to try to ensure millions of his supporters are denied effective political representation?
Upon yet more reflection the Conservatives should have put up a candidate against him because if they won (and Farage would have had a lot of problems in defending what was previously a Conservative seat) they could have surged ahead of Reform in the opinion polls ( an unforeseen and rare opportunity to do so) and if they lost they would have been no worse off than now. Pity Kemi Badenoch shot from the lip instead of carefully analysing the situation.
Reply Conservatives took the principled view that if Nigel is innocent as he says there is no need for a by election and he had every right to carry on. If he is found to have done something wrong that his constituents dislike then there will be a by election then which the Conservatives will fight.
July 9, 2026
Wait for the S&P Committee Report.
We can’t have corrupt politicians.
July 8, 2026
Well not “WE” but certainly all lefty PMs from Ted Heath right through to Starmer and soon Burnham with the only partial exception of Thatcher (and Truss who was removed by Sunak’s mates and the BoE before she could get anything done’.
I too see little hope, even if a sound right wing government does manage to gain real power and an overall majority they will really struggle to get the huge reforms through that are needed against all the forces of the parasitic state. Also to keep all their new MPs on side.
July 8, 2026
Two reasons I would suggest. First, Labour hates not only Trump but, instinctively, also the USA as a successful capitalist economy which prioritises its own people. Secondly, knowingly antagonising the Americans moves the UK intentionally closer to the EU and is part of the gradual convergence with EU policy, facilitating the longer term goal of rejoining.
July 8, 2026
Sorry Lord Hermer, but all I’m hearing are the weasel words of an enemy of this country.
I’m sorry he’s the attorney general, seeing as he shouldn’t have any position at all, and elevated to the HoL by mistake.
July 8, 2026
So the ‘Legal’ case is now admitted as a lie. Like so many other lies now escaping from this corrupted Parliament
That also opens up other questions as to why he is seeing Diego Garcia as a separate entity to the Chagos Island Group. Why aren’t the Chagos Island people being consulted, don’t they have the same rights of self determination as the UN dictates.
Then there is the Mauritius claim itself, it appears to be assumed on the basis of how it was governed prior to independence. Mauritius, the Seychelles & Maldives were all grouped together there was no separation, same government etc. Mauritius is the furthest away from the Chagos Islands. So even that is also a corruption the Seychelles should also be in line for a hand out
It all suggests the UK Government is acting as an appeaser to others out their hate for the UK and its People
July 8, 2026
Lord Hermmer: “That is simply one piece in a jigsaw, the larger picture of which is all about the national security interests of this country.” When is he or anyone going to reveal the undisclosed parts of this jigsaw? A forensic inquiry into these activities is overdue.
July 8, 2026
The US will also have something to say about answering the question.
July 8, 2026
Is this the same Court the ICJ that has decreed the UK should be liable to pay £4tn in reparations. yet again the Court has gone too far and strayed into issues beyond its remit.
The UN along with these bogus courts are destroying their purpose from within. It calls into question what is a law. A Treaty is never a ‘Law’ it is agreement that stands all the time both/all parties feel it is in their interest to agree, it stops when one party no longer agrees.
Who pays the International Lawyers that play around with these treaties surely it cant be the taxpayer?
July 8, 2026
£35 billion spend, with massive international defence question ….and it wasn’t in the labour 2024 manifesto, not a single word?
July 8, 2026
It is all about reducing our power.Some might have thought a comment I made about Wimbledon was out of context yet it is an English tradition to cling on to as belittling the UK comes from all angles.
July 8, 2026
The Starmer government said that if the agreement was not concluded immediately then we’d lose access to the base “within weeks”. That turned out to be a lie as here we are months later still with access. Hoyle should call the relevant minister back to the house to correct the record.
July 8, 2026
So they would jettison the interests of the UK and the US after only one human lifetime. Every way you look at this it is mad and bad.
July 8, 2026
This action demonstrates precisely why we should never ever again have an HR Lawyer as our Prime Minister. Both Kier Starmer and Lord Hermer are more interested in spurious legal affairs than in running an efficient government.
It is preposterous to suggest that giving these islands away to a small country, some 1300 miles away, will make the Chagos Islands base more secure. Especially when they are ignoring the fact that the beneficiary of our generosity, Mauritius, is allied to red, communist China, which now, it is clear, has serious imperialistic ideals and practices, so they present a danger to us.
Furthermore, why waste time on an irrelevance (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it) when there are more important problems to solve within our own country?
With that blinkered HR ideal, is it any wonder our Nation has so many problems now?
July 8, 2026
I suspect the man-in-the-street (certainly including the writer of this) is baffled by the thought of giving Chagos away, when we own the freehold. It is time we had some lucid answers to the public’s valid concerns.
July 8, 2026
Just give it to Trump. Problem solved.
July 8, 2026
back in time.My personal secretary came from Mauritius fluent but with a french accent.The Chagos Island Archipelago is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.Simplez.Nothing to do whatsoever with the ex French bits.
We should be talking-NOW- with our close Australian partners(Cocos Islands and Christmas Island)to join with
UK/US .We have apartnership-not forgetting NZ
July 8, 2026
There were native peoples living thrre probably for hundreds or thousands of years before the British and Europeans arrived – they own the islands
July 9, 2026
If that was acknowledged then the British would ‘own’ our archipelago.
Much Labour and lies have been invested to disabuse us of the principle.
July 9, 2026
You can say the same about GB …all have been invaded.