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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There have been some damn stupid ideas and decisions over the years, but the Chagos deal has to stand out as maybe the dumbest of the lot.
Everyone pushing it should have their finances ripped apart, as something stinks to high heaven.
“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”….. so if it’s that crucial, why don’t we just keep the bloody place?… or is this in relation to the other rock in the middle of the ocean?…
Keir Starmer…Keir Burnham…Andy Burnham…Andy Starmer…A.N.Other…
The puppet King is dead, long live the puppet King.
As we already own Chagos and already have Sovereign rights in perpetuity to operate a military base there clearly there is no consideration for the proposed disposal. As usual the DT reprints the establishment press release without hesitation.
Burnam, Milibrain and Streeting should all be sent to The Tower — and the keys thrown away. The traditional penalty for Treachery is probably regarded as ‘excessive’ in these Woke times ……………
No, I would still prefer to see the traditional penalty.
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?
The left just want rid of all territories so as to further their quest for a socialist dictatorship forever.
I still don’t understand it. Surely they could still have “socialist dictatorships” in the territories as well?
Why give away something you already own and have already paid for, only to rent it back for an exorbitant fee? Would Burnham do that to his own house?
Communists really are clinically insane, and should never be allowed anywhere near the government of any country.
And the US government is also insane to even consider agreeing to such an asinine plan, which will be entirely to their future detriment, instead of just saying “No!”
Will they be going cap-in-hand to grovel before the Ethnic Indians who have taken over Mauritius, humbly begging to be allowed to use their own military base of Diego Garcia?
Honestly, you couldn’t make this stuff up!