Chagos deal suffers 'humiliating' defeats as government loses four votes

2 days ago 7

Sir Keir Starmer has suffered 4 "humiliating" defeats successful parliament implicit plans to manus sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The archipelago is location to the British Indian Ocean Territory, and its largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a associated US-UK subject base.

Now plans to transportation the islands backmost to Mauritius person suffered a setback, aft the House of Lords inflicted 4 defeats connected the government's deal.

What were they?

The archetypal decision acrophobic proposals to lease Diego Garcia back from Mauritius for 99 years, astatine the outgo of immoderate £101m per year.

An amendment was projected that payments to Mauritius should halt if the Diego Garcia basal could nary longer beryllium used. The authorities opposed it, but was defeated by 8 votes.

The Lib Dems past dealt the authorities a 2nd stroke with an amendment proposing that Chagossians successful the UK should get a referendum connected the deal.

A 3rd decision came successful the signifier of a Tory amendment that would unit ministers to people elaborate costings of payments to Mauritius.

Then the authorities faced a last decision erstwhile the Lib Dems projected that parliament beryllium fixed oversight of spending linked to the treaty, allowing MPs to halt payments to Mauritius if it breaches the presumption of the deal.

Tories condemn 'terrible' legislation

But the authorities did negociate to narrowly decision a connection to halt the islands being handed implicit unless the determination was backed by a bulk of Chagossians successful a referendum.

Shadow overseas caput Dame Priti Patel said Labour had faced a "humiliating defeat".

She added: "Keir Starmer is anemic and incapable of lasting up for Britain astatine location and abroad. Britain's defence and information are astatine hazard due to the fact that of this unspeakable legislation."

The woody volition present instrumentality to the House of Commons, wherever the authorities volition person the accidental to propulsion retired the Lords' amendments.

How did we get here?

Negotiations betwixt the UK and Mauritius implicit the islands began successful 2022, erstwhile the Conservatives were successful office.

Formerly a French possession, the Chagos Islands were ceded to Britain successful 1814 and formed into the British Indian Ocean Territory successful 1965.

Britain displaced its section colonisation successful the aboriginal 1970s and since past lone subject unit person been allowed access.

Mauritius has agelong sought sovereignty implicit the islands, taking its lawsuit to the International Court of Justice, which agreed Britain was obliged to extremity its medication implicit the territory.

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