Andy Burnham will do “everything possible” to hand over the Chagos Islands, the Prime Minister of Mauritius has said following a phone call with the Labour Prime Minister. The Telegraph has more.
In a phone call with Navin Ramgoolam on Monday, Burnham “reiterated his commitment to continue doing everything possible, together with the USA, towards the ratification of the Chagos treaty”.
A statement released by Ramgoolam’s office said: “The United Kingdom recognises the need to ensure the use of the Diego Garcia military base for its security.”
The two Prime Ministers also agreed for the countries’ Foreign Ministers to meet at the United Nations General Assembly, which starts on Tuesday, Downing Street said in a statement.
The Government’s plans to hand over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean territory in exchange for retaining control of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia were paused in April after opposition from the Trump administration.
On May 22nd last year, Sir Keir Starmer’s government agreed a deal to relinquish sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after more than two centuries of control, while retaining a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia.
The deal has not yet been ratified because of the Donald Trump’s concerns. The US President changed his mind about the agreement after Sir Keir refused to let him use British military bases to bomb Iran.
Burnham’s Government continues to support the deal, but ministers have accepted that it cannot continue without the backing of the White House.
Speaking to reporters on the way to New York for a meeting of the UN General Assembly, Burnham said he would work with Mauritius and the US to find a solution to retaining control of Diego Garcia.
“We remain determined to secure the long-term operation of the base, which is crucial to our security and that of our allies,” he said in his first comments on the Chagos Islands since entering office.
“The assurance I gave was I will work towards a resolution. At the moment we don’t have that, but I gave an assurance that I would commit to working towards one.”
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, hit out at Burnham on social media on Tuesday, writing: “Why can’t Andy Burnham do ‘everything possible’ to bring down the cost of welfare, or do ‘everything possible’ to fund defence properly?
“Why is giving away this territory such a priority for Labour that they are willing to give away billions to do so when there’s little money for anything else?”
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Burnham has refused to rule out a pledge to rejoin the EU in a future Labour manifesto.
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The Mauritian’s were paid by the uk for the separation of the Chagos islands. Now these chancers just want more money out of the U.K taxpayers. Just like the other shower of chancers over from the wacky backy islands. If we had a government with a backbone we would tell them all where to get off. Andy Pandy will roll over while they tickle his ‘quisling’ belly. The Falklands are next.
Yes. And then Northern Ireland.
The Chagos Islands were never part of a sovereign country called Mauritius
True! I just don’t understand how any member of Parliament could approve this total madness. Was there ever a vote on it?