Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois has slammed Labour’s plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands as “absolutely bonkers”, amid reports that President Trump may offer to buy them from Mauritius.
Francois told GB News: “None of this needs to happen, because the Americans legally can stop us giving them away. Labour’s plan, when you think about it, it’s always been absolutely bonkers.
“It’s a bit like us paying Argentina £35 billion to rent back the Falkland Islands, because that’s got a key strategic base on it as well. The whole plan was mad, which is why we in the Conservative Party fought it tooth and nail.”
He added: “It’s true that the President initially seemed to be in favour. It is rumoured that Peter Mandelson, when he was our ambassador, was one of those people who helped to persuade the president initially to back it, but I think from President Trump’s point of view, the straw that broke the camel’s back, if you like, was when he asked for permission to use that vital strategic runway for the initial strikes on Iran to stop them getting a nuclear weapon, and we refused.
“So, I think from Trump’s point of view, we all know Donald Trump’s more than capable of speaking for himself, but I think from his view and the view of the administration that did it seriously damaged relations, and that’s why Trump came out very, very forcibly saying that he wouldn’t support the deal without his signature. The islands can’t be transferred, so hopefully that is the end of it.
“They don’t need to buy them, we don’t need to lease them back. They’re British and they’ll stay British.”
Asked why left-wingers have been quiet on the issue, he said: “Because people on the left in British politics have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to sovereignty generally, be that with regard to the Chagos Islands, or be that with regards to protecting our borders.
“Remember, because Labour looked weak on this, there are now people in Cyprus who are laying claim to the sovereign base areas, which is another vital strategic place. The Argentinians have renewed or tried to renew their claim to the Falkland Islands, Spain has put more pressure on us over Gibraltar because this is such a hopelessly weak socialist government in this country.
“Other nations around the world have sensed that, they sniffed it, and so they are trying to now crimp our sovereignty, not just in Chagos, but around the globe, that’s the real danger of Starmer and his acolytes in government.”